Québec City, September 30, 2021 – In her 2020-2021 Annual Report, Québec Ombudsperson Marie Rinfret pointed out that the health measures implemented in correctional facilities because of COVID-19 wreaked havoc on usual practices and undermined detainees’ rights.
Any new detainees admitted to a correctional facility were put in solitary confinement for quarantine. They were kept in their cell around the clock for at least 14 days in sections for that purpose before being allowed to join the general detainee population and to have a more normal detainee life. These new detainees were in cramped cells and had no showers, daily yardtime or family contact, besides no or insufficient changes of clothing. The Protecteur du citoyen felt that such measures dealt the detainees’ mental health a harsh blow.
"This year, numerous complaints told a story of intolerable detention conditions during the pandemic. The Protecteur du citoyen is aware that correctional services must protect detainees’ and staff’s health and lives, but even if the challenges are daunting, the Ministère de la Sécurité publique must ensure that detainees’ rights are upheld," the Québec Ombudsperson insisted.
A persistent problem
The pandemic exacerbated problems with the health services in the Montréal and Québec City correctional facilities, leading to interrupted medication distribution. These are the only facilities where the transfer of responsibility for these services from the Ministère de la Sécurité publique to the Ministère de la Santé et des Services sociaux has still not happened while, in fact, it has been done everywhere else in Québec. The Protecteur du citoyen urges these two departments to complete the intended transfer so that detainees receive health services equivalent to those provided to the population at large.
A few figures
In 2020-2021, the Protecteur du citoyen intervened concerning:
- The Commission québécoise des libérations conditionnelles;
- The Ministère de la Sécurité publique;
- The 18 correctional facilities under the Department’s responsibility.
37.4% of the complaints were substantiated. Most of them concerned failure to respect rights, lengthy delays and deficient conditions and living environments.
The Protecteur du citoyen, which acts impartially and independently, ensures that the rights of citizens are upheld in their dealings with public services. The Ombudsman’s services are free and user-friendly.
See the highlights of the Protecteur du citoyen’s 2020-2021 Annual Report in the Annual reports section.
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Media Relations:
Carole-Anne Huot
Phone: (418) 646-7143/Cell: (418) 925-7994
Email: carole-anne.huot@protecteurducitoyen.qc.ca
