For immediate release: Tuesday, March 30, 2004

EDMONTON — The Alberta Union of Provincial Employees will hold meetings with Correctional workers from across Alberta to discuss responses to the government’s plan to abolish approximately 24 employees’ jobs and implement other potentially harmful recommendations, AUPE President Dan MacLennan said today.

The recommendations were contained in the report of a three-member MLA committee on Corrections that was released at the Legislature this afternoon.

“We are deeply concerned by several of the recommendations of this committee, such as using private security to check on inmates serving time in the community” MacLennan said.

At the same time, MacLennan said, AUPE supports some recommendations, such as a smoking ban in provincial jails.

“It is troubling, however, that after the committee took almost two years to come up with its report, the government seems to be moving so quickly to implement ideas that AUPE believes will prove to be risky for the people of Alberta," MacLennan said.

MacLennan pointed to several of the committee’s recommendations that are opposed by AUPE:

• That the department hire private security guards to perform curfew checks on inmates serving community sentences.
  
• That the department implement a pilot project to electronically monitor inmates living in the community.
  
• That the government continue to monitor jail privatization in Ontario.
  
• That young offender centres and units in Lethbridge, Grande Prairie, Red Deer and Medicine Hat be closed.
  
• That the department be given enhanced authority to enter into agreements with the “non-governmental sector.”

At the same time, MacLennan praised the committee for recommending a ban on smoking in all provincial jails, and plans to hire a dozen more probation officers.

“We were also pleased that the government agreed with AUPE that Correctional Services in Alberta are well-run and cost effective,” he added.

MacLennan characterized the committee’s recommendation that private security guards be hired to do checks on inmates serving community sentences as “just wrong — the inmates will laugh at it.

“AUPE believes two trained Corrections Officers should visit inmates serving community sentences in their homes, look for signs of drug or alcohol use or other violations, and be prepared to deal with problems as soon as they are identified,” he said. “You can’t tell if they’re breaking the terms of their probation by looking through their window. The present standards should be strengthened.”

MacLennan also said the province should not proceed with plans that would see offenders serving community sentences subject to lower reporting standards.

“This idea would result in offenders living in the community in all parts of Alberta being subject to less supervision than they are now,” he said. “From a community safety perspective, I don’t think it’s a good idea to reduce their supervision standards.”

Closing young offenders' units in Medicine Hat, Lethbridge and Red Deer may increase transportation costs and result in young people in conflict with the law being housed far from their families, MacLennan added.

“I don’t believe closing the Young Offenders Centre in Red Deer will save any money at all,” he stated.

MacLennan also expressed concern about the idea of introducing a $500,000 project to electronically monitor inmates. “We are not convinced that electronic monitoring works. We think the money would be better spent on hiring and training qualified Corrections staff to go out and check on inmates at night.”

“Privatization of Correctional services has proved to be a disaster worldwide,” MacLennan added.
MacLennan will be in Peace River tomorrow evening and in Grande Prairie on Thursday to meet with Correctional workers.

The MLA Review Committee was announced on May 23, 2002, to review matters including Corrections Services staff and funding resources, offender and staff security, and offender rehabilitation and work programs.

The three-member committee is chaired by Red Deer North MLA Mary-Anne Jablonski. The other committee members are Lac La Biche-St. Paul MLA Ray Danyluk and Edmonton-Castle Downs MLA Thomas Lukaszuk.

Click here to read the government’s news release on the committee’s report.

Click here for recent clipping.

For more information, contact:
Dan MacLennan, President, AUPE, 780-930-3301 or 780-232-8392 (cellular phone)
David Climenhaga, Communications Director, AUPE, 780-930-3311 or 780-717-2943 (cellular phone)