First of a two part series: Nunavut News/North bureau chief Kathleen Lippa spent 10 hours with two corrections officers at the Baffin Correctional Centre. Today, she shadows Dickie Joanas.

Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Mar 08/04) - If you didn't know you were inside Baffin Correctional Centre, you might think you were in a high school.

Hired a year ago, corrections officer Dickie Joanas says: "It took me months to get used to this." - Kathleen Lippa/NNSL photo The minimum security prison is divided up into sections: when Nunavut News/North visited, there were nine inmates in Special Unit (SU) for special needs inmates; 37 in dorms; 15 in remand (those charged and awaiting sentencing); and inmates who live in trailers on the premises, who work in various jobs in the community, but still have corrections officers and a curfew. BCC can house 66 inmates in the main building, 10 in trailers and 12 in its halfway house. The Special Unit has four cells, two used as isolation cells with no bed, just a toilet; There are seven dorm cells, each have six beds; Remand has three cells and 18 beds; and there are two intake cells. The one-storey building is surrounded by a chain link fence and barbed wire. Inmates awake at 7 a.m. and they're back in their cells for 11 p.m. lights out. Inmates are responsible for cooking and cleaning the facility. Groups of four work on a rotating schedule cooking meals. Supper on this night consisted of a small chicken leg and thigh (everyone complained about the size of the chicken portion), cooked mixed vegetables with carrots, cauliflower and broccoli, and white rice. Dessert was a small piece of chocolate cake. Inmates eat off a blue plastic tray with plastic cutlery. The cafeteria also houses a pool table and a table hockey game. Walls are decorated with images of walruses and drum dancers. Inmates do their own laundry by tossing everything into their own mesh drawstring bag and throwing it into the wash. The entire jail is searched once a year in an effort to round up contraband. Corrections officer Dickie Joanas said he has seen is a confiscated tattoo maker created from CD player parts. There has never been a riot at the BCC since opening in its current location in 1986. But there have been suicides. In 2002 an inmate hung himself in a shower. Corrections officers who worked there at that time say it is still difficult to think about. Serving time When you get sentenced to time at the Baffin Correctional Centre, you arrive at a side door of the facility with a police escort. You remove all your clothes and are strip-searched. You can have a shower. You must hand over all your clothes and whatever possessions you have on your person to staff who document it and lock it away. You receive the following items: one sweatshirt one long-sleeved underwear shirt one pair of long underwear three t-shirts three pairs of track pants three pairs of socks three pairs of underwear two sheets one blanket one pillowcase one pillow

The doors are all painted dark blue. The colour scheme is not too different from Iqaluit's Inuksuk high school. The bathroom stalls and shower room are very similar to the boys change room at Inuksuk's gymnasium.

Staff turnover high

But it is a jail. The doors lock when you close them. Cameras keep watch over the cells, halls and other rooms.

Corrections officers like Dickie Joanas patrol, keeping an eye on the 81 inmates who are now serving sentences ranging between a day and two years. The average jail term is three to four months. Ninety-eight per cent of the inmates are Inuit.

On this Thursday night, Joanas, a 24-year-old from Clyde River, patrolled the floor, a "floater" going where he's needed. He's worked at BCC for a year and is one of eight Inuit guards among the 36 corrections staff. Other officers keep watch from a central control room, monitoring the cameras that scan the premises.

As he walked, someone yelled a single swear word: "Fu--."

Joanas turned his head slightly in the direction of the sound. No fight, no scuffle followed.

His patrol route took him through BCC's classroom, where he said he rarely sees inmates from Iglulik.

"I don't know why, but their language and culture are really strong in Iglulik," he said.

Gathered in the cafeteria

In the common area, also used as a cafeteria, a few inmates talked. One, wearing the standard navy blue sweatshirt, navy blue sweat pants and dark blue sneakers with white-capped toes filled his mug with coffee from a brown carafe.

Two others sat on a silver coloured cafeteria table.

Inmates aren't supposed to sit on the tables, said Joanas, but he let them stay where they were.

One inmate strummed a guitar. Three others nestled close to three of the four pay phones that still work, cradling the receivers on their shoulders. When the lights-out call came at 11 p.m., one of the inmates gave Joanas a hard time.

"You're like the cops," said the inmate. "You're always telling us what to do."

"No, I'm not," answered Joanas. "They drop you off. We're in here with you."

Visiting day, canteen open

Thursdays are usually good days at BCC for two main reasons: The canteen is open so inmates can buy cigarettes and treats like chips. It is also visiting day. Family and friends are allowed to visit for one hour.

Each visitor must be searched.

Joanas signed each of them in and patted them down for "sharps" (weapons) and drugs.

Diapers and boxes of wipes are checked for drugs, anything that should not be coming in to the jail.

Recently, guards discovered a vial of liquid marijuana. In the past they've found drugs taped under chair seats, inside the cribbage board and inside phone book pages.

On this night, a visitor had $200 in his pocket.

Joanas took the cash and wrote the visitor a cheque. Then Joanas went back to watching and opening doors.

Responding to his radio. More watching.

Visits take place in the cafeteria. Husbands and wives, men and their girlfriends kiss, hold hands and talk. Dads hold their babies, watch their children play. It is noisy in the BCC.

Every room has a television with full cable and access to DVD movies, operated from a control station in the facility. Inmates just flick a switch and watch, usually with the volume cranked high.

On this night, the staff rented the movies Fight Club and Marked for Death.

Inmates can smoke anytime, and they smoke a lot. The majority of inmates smoke.

Up until a couple of months ago, corrections officers had to light cigarettes for inmates due to a no-lighter rule.

That stopped after a lighter holder was installed outside the smoke room door.

"When I first came here, (inmates) would ask me for cigarettes," said Joanas. "I don't do that any more."

He said he doesn't know how the Worker's Compensation Board smoking ban, coming into effect May 1, is going to work at BCC.

Next week: Inside BCC -- Shadowing Margaret Evaloakjuk, one of 10 female corrections officers.