Quebec Prisons | Nothing is going well, according to correctional officers

Shaken by the episode of violence by an inmate against an employee at the Sorel-Tracy prison, several correctional officers have the impression of being in the heart of the battlefield without having the protection of Quebec and Ottawa. “We are sent to the front with the bare minimum,” laments an experienced agent.

This was the straw that broke the camel’s back for many: a correctional services officer (ASC) at the Sorel-Tracy detention facility was attacked by an inmate at the beginning of December. He could lose his sight following this attack which left him unrecognizable.

The 12 prison officers who confided in The Press were still dismayed, a few days after the incident. They all work in provincial establishments and cannot speak openly without putting their jobs at risk.

The injured agent intervened alone at the time of the incident, recalling the glaring lack of staff in the prisons, underlines one of them.

He is thinking of changing jobs.

“It could very well have been me, the beaten agent,” says a colleague, who regrets his career choice. I thought that over time, we would have more resources. No less. »

Assault and intimidation of prisoners against ASCs have become commonplace and are increasing in intensity, believes another. “The lack of personnel jeopardizes security. But if there is a lack of staff, it is because we are not listened to, valued or protected. »

ASCs in Quebec do not wear “anti-spike” jackets and do not have pepper spray worn on their belts, like in federal penitentiaries. However, homemade weapons manufactured by defendants abound. Pepper spray is stored in a sector of the prison: not practical when an employee faces a violent and unpredictable inmate.

“One pair of handcuffs for four officers, no continuing training. It’s deplorable,” says an agent.

It has become common for a provincial agent to do daytime patrols alone. “I do at least two a day. I am alone, without cayenne pepper on me. My only protection is my radio to call back upif I can do it,” the agent continues.

Why aren’t we providing officers with more protective equipment? “We get told all sorts of things, but I think it’s really a question of cost. Nobody wants to pay for that, because the citizens who vote don’t see what’s going on inside. Our security costs too much. »

Dangerous inmates, noxious climate

Three agents told us they had been threatened by detainees who were members of influential criminal organizations. “They shouted my address and the names of my children at me,” explains one of them.

They did not feel listened to by their managers when they addressed the problem, despite the potential for escalation of violence.

Among the agents, there is a general fed up with the “empty speeches” of governments, of “disconnected” managers, but also of the union machine.

At the Ministry of Public Safety (MSP), we estimate providing the necessary equipment based on a risk analysis.

“For more than a year, the MSP has been in discussion with the union of peace officers in correctional services to agree on the best choice of bulletproof vest to use when traveling outside establishments. The union did not choose the peak guard jackets for reasons of comfort and agreed with the MSP to test traditional jackets with the possibility of inserting a peak guard plate,” responds the MSP.

It is added that the union has never made a request to the MSP for correctional services officers to wear them in the past. “A request from the union was sent to the employer dated December 12, 2024 to this effect. »