Lockdowns are happening at Whitehorse jail for wrong reasons, advocates say

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Inmates at Whitehorse Correctional Centre faced unscheduled lockdowns almost every second day this year, adding up to hundreds of additional hours confined to their cells. Lawyers say that affects mental health, access to programming and court proceedings.

Inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre faced unscheduled lockdowns more than every second day this year on average, adding up to hundreds of extra hours spent locked in their cells.

Data provided by the Yukon Department of Justice shows that inmates at the jail faced operational lockdowns on 167 of the 273 days between Jan. 1 and Sept. 30.

The lockdowns, when inmates are confined to their cells, happen because of what the department calls “operational requirements.” That can include security system or communications failures, security incidents or staffing shortages, among other things.

Inmates at the Whitehorse Correctional Centre (WCC) are scheduled to have 13 hours of “unlock” time each weekday, when they can leave their cells and access common areas.

The justice department’s data refers to unscheduled lockdowns that happen in at least one part of the facility, not necessarily the whole facility.

Yukon Legal Services Society executive director Lynn MacDiarmid says the additional lockdown time can add up to as much as 100 hours in a month.

The legal non-profit tracked time spent in unscheduled lockdowns in one unit at the correctional centre. It found that between April and August this year, inmates in that unit were spending an average of 80 hours each month in unscheduled lockdowns.

“There are lots of complaints that we receive from … the clients at WCC about the number of hours they spend locked up,” MacDiarmid said.

MLA Carmen Gustafson, a former lawyer and the NDP critic for justice, says she’s heard about the issue from inmates and from colleagues in the justice system.

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