Former youth correctional officer discusses work conditions

BURNABY (NEWS1130) – For the second time in a week, we are hearing concerns about the safety of workers in government-run facilities.

This time, it’s a former correctional officer at the Burnaby Youth Custody Services Centre who is raising concerns.

She only wants to be identified by her initials, J.S., and says her injuries have included a dislocated shoulder, broken fingers, and having an ashtray of pencil shavings thrown in her face.

She says others have had bodily fluids thrown at them.

J.S. worked at the facility for 24 years; she left in 2008, but tells us she knows others who are still there and the situation remains the same.

Speaking to News1130, she says the Ministry of Children and Family Development does nothing to protect employees. “Workers are left there daily, fighting for their lives, and concerned for their safety.”

J.S. claims she worked eight months with the dislocated shoulder, then left, and came back from that injury to be told her attendance was unacceptable.

“It was quite common for them to shut down units, blend units, put groups of kids together that should never be mixed. You know, it’s all financially driven, and when money comes before people, you run into serious, serious problems.”

She says staff to inmate ratios were also an issue.

Dean Purdy with the BC Government and Service Employees’ Union says he’s spoken to employees and to local union reps, and has found there have been about 20 assaults on correctional officers in the last year. He says that number doesn’t include near-misses and threats that happen daily.

Purdy adds inmates are between the ages of 12 and 20, and while they each have their own cell, inmates between 18 and 20 sometimes share common spaces with those between the ages of 12 and 17.

We asked him whether there is anything the ministry should be doing.

“Well, we want to ensure that there’s adequate staffing, that they have the adequate resources to handle the violence inside the jails, and there is some form of accountability for the actions of the kids because currently, The longest they can be segregated or kept separate is only 72 hours, so there’s not a lot of consequences for some of the actions that the young offenders do, not only to other young offenders but also our officers who work inside the jails,” says Purdy.

He adds the violence has increased over the last five to seven years because of a higher number of violent offenders. He’s going to be following up with WorkSafeBC.

Meanwhile, in an email, the Ministry of Children and Family Development tells News1130 there have been more assaults over the last year because of one high-needs resident. It says there were ten assaults in 2012/2013 compared to two in 2011/2012.

At the time, the centre implemented safety plans that included more staffing for that resident.

The ministry points out staff deal with some of the most behaviourally challenged youth in the province, and in some cases, that includes violent offenders. It also says although regulations limit segregation to 72 hours, that can be extended up to an additional 72 hours with approval from the provincial director.

In terms of staff to inmate ratios, the ministry says they fluctuate between approximately six to eight inmates for each staff.

This all comes one week after a nurse at Burnaby’s Maples Treatment Centre — which looks after kids with mental illness — spoke out about violence toward employees at that facility.