Youth jail guard reprimanded
'Unacceptable' delay in reporting young offenders who went missing from facility: review
Shane Magee
Northern News Services
Wednesday, October 26, 2016
SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
At least one North Slave Young Offender Facility staff member has faced reprimand after two teens walked out of the facility in August, Yellowknifer has learned.
At issue is a multi-hour gap between the time when the youth were last seen in the facility and when they were reported as missing to police.
There were only three youth in the facility at the time when two of them walked out. They were being held in what's known as open custody, which means doors aren't locked.
The Department of Justice carried out a review of the Aug. 19 incident, which came just days after murder suspect Denecho King escaped from the adjacent North Slave Correctional Centre (NSCC). The review, which hasn't been publicly released, suggested small physical changes to the entrance of the building and a recommendation to reinforce procedures and policies with all staff, according to spokesperson Sue Glowach.
In August, the department stated that an "appropriate" number of staff were working at the facility at the time the youth walked out, although it didn't provide an exact number.
The spokesperson initially said the youth had not returned as expected, although the warden of the facility in a subsequent interview said the timing of events was being reviewed.
Glowach stated the now-completed report "addressed an unacceptable gap (in the) amount of time between when the youth left the building and their absence being discovered."
"Corrective actions have been taken to ensure that similar lapses are not repeated," Glowach stated.
The extent of the reprimand to the staff member hasn't been disclosed.
Glowach stated the department cannot discuss human resources matters.
"We can assure you the department takes the safety of young offenders in our care very seriously," she stated.
Todd Parsons, president of the Union of Northern Workers, which represents unionized corrections officers at the facility, declined an interview request.
Confirmation of the reprimand comes after Yellowknifer reported there won't be any similar action taken against corrections officers at the North Slave Correctional Centre related to the King escape because all procedures were properly followed when he fled Aug. 10.
In the legislative assembly Tuesday, Kam Lake MLA Kieron Testart stood by corrections officers in a speech.
"I'm deeply saddened to see media reports questioning the ability of our correctional officers to do their jobs when, in fact, the issue was with a previously unknown security gap at NSCC," Testart said.
He also reiterated a call for more information about the King escape to be released.
"I now urge the minister to release as much information as possible from the review so that my constituents, those who live a stone's throw away from the jail, know that their homes and families are safe," Testart said.
During question period, Justice Minister Louis Sebert repeated several lines previously sent to media about the escape and said security concerns prevent release of further information.
