beans_mom
03-25-2002, 02:43 AM
Thursday, March 21, 2002
Grim prison conditions arise
Judge slams OPSEU fallout: 'It just isn't right'
By GRETCHEN DRUMMIE, COURTS BUREAU
Fallout from the OPSEU strike has forced prisoners to live for days in the barren holding cells at the Old City Hall courthouse -- and a senior Toronto judge is "horrified."
"It's a very sad day when we see helpless imprisoned people being used as pawns," Regional Senior Justice Lauren Marshall said in an interview with The Toronto Sun. "I have serious concerns for health and safety and it's completely inappropriate for human beings to be treated this way."
Det. -Sgt. Sharon Davis, officer in charge of the courthouse, confirmed the jails are refusing to accept some prisoners so they are forced to stay at the courthouse, some since Sunday. Davis explained that people already in jail and taken to the six Toronto courthouses are being returned to the facilities, but those, for example, who are new arrests and ordered detained after a bail hearing are being rejected and are being held instead at the central Old City Hall cells.
And every day a full docket of prisoners are brought into the spartan bullpen for their slated appearances. But, she said, the staff is well trained and so far it's controlled. "We're doing our best to look after the prisoners."
Meanwhile court security officers are working a new midnight shift to accommodate the unusual circumstances.
Marshall said there were four young offenders among the group, including a 16-year-old-girl -- but she ordered them transferred to a youth facility yesterday.
"It's dirty, it stinks, they can't be properly cleaned ... there are no showers, no proper meal facilities, in the day it gets very crowded," Marshall said. It's not sanitary. There are no facilities to wash ... It just isn't right."
Grim prison conditions arise
Judge slams OPSEU fallout: 'It just isn't right'
By GRETCHEN DRUMMIE, COURTS BUREAU
Fallout from the OPSEU strike has forced prisoners to live for days in the barren holding cells at the Old City Hall courthouse -- and a senior Toronto judge is "horrified."
"It's a very sad day when we see helpless imprisoned people being used as pawns," Regional Senior Justice Lauren Marshall said in an interview with The Toronto Sun. "I have serious concerns for health and safety and it's completely inappropriate for human beings to be treated this way."
Det. -Sgt. Sharon Davis, officer in charge of the courthouse, confirmed the jails are refusing to accept some prisoners so they are forced to stay at the courthouse, some since Sunday. Davis explained that people already in jail and taken to the six Toronto courthouses are being returned to the facilities, but those, for example, who are new arrests and ordered detained after a bail hearing are being rejected and are being held instead at the central Old City Hall cells.
And every day a full docket of prisoners are brought into the spartan bullpen for their slated appearances. But, she said, the staff is well trained and so far it's controlled. "We're doing our best to look after the prisoners."
Meanwhile court security officers are working a new midnight shift to accommodate the unusual circumstances.
Marshall said there were four young offenders among the group, including a 16-year-old-girl -- but she ordered them transferred to a youth facility yesterday.
"It's dirty, it stinks, they can't be properly cleaned ... there are no showers, no proper meal facilities, in the day it gets very crowded," Marshall said. It's not sanitary. There are no facilities to wash ... It just isn't right."