Pubdate: Mon, 08 Jun 2015 Source: Winnipeg Free Press (CN MB) Copyright: 2015 Winnipeg Free Press Contact: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/send_a_letter Website: http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/502 Author: Charles Tweed Page: A7 BRANDON JAIL TOPS SEIZED-CONTRABAND LIST Tory justice critic blames overcrowding BRANDON - More contraband was seized at the Brandon Correctional Centre in 2014 than at any other Manitoba jail. A total of 98 items - drugs, weapons, tobacco, home brew, ink and tattooing supplies - were seized by corrections officers in the western Manitoba jail, a jump of 10 per cent from 2013. Tory justice critic Kelvin Goertzen, whose office distributed the information following a freedom-of-information request, said overcrowding is behind the problem. "It makes it harder to keep (contraband) out," he said. "We've seen over the last couple of years at Headingley - and it's true in Brandon as well - that there is anywhere from 170 to 190 incidents where those who are working in the facilities found these dangerous weapons, drugs or other things that cause those in the facility to be unsafe." Manitoba's jails include correctional centres in Brandon, Dauphin, Headingley, Milner Ridge and The Pas, the Women's Correction Centre (Headingley) and Winnipeg Remand Centre. Stony Mountain Institution is a federal facility and isn't included in the statistics. On May 27, the Brandon Correctional Centre was 24.6 per cent over capacity, with 314 inmates in custody. The facility's capacity is 252, according to a Manitoba Justice spokesperson. In 2013-14, there were 21,704 adults in provincial-territorial custody across the country, which translates to an incarceration rate of 87 offenders per 100,000 adult population, according to Statistics Canada. However, Manitoba had the highest rate of incarceration among the provinces at 242 per 100,000 adult population. "Correctional facilities manage higher inmate populations by using double bunks or repurposing areas like gyms into sleeping quarters," the spokesperson said. "Safety is a primary consideration whenever these types of changes are implemented. "Corrections does not believe that inmate capacity is a significant factor related to contraband." There are 206 staff at the Brandon jail, including approximately 165 correctional officers. "In all provincial facilities, contraband is taken very seriously, and the number of confiscated items is due to the vigilance of staff," the spokesperson said. Another area of concern is gangs. Corrections works to ensure the safety of inmates and staff by identifying gang associations and other potential security risks, according to the spokesperson. "It is possible that members or associates of more than one gang may be housed at a correctional facility, but their placements are managed to minimize any potential issues," the spokesperson said. - --- MAP posted-by: Matt