CBC has obtained surveillance videos showing prison guards punching and slapping inmates, underscoring the need for more cameras in correctional facilities. Court applications and arbitration hearings were used by the public broadcaster to obtain the videos. The guards on these videos have all been charged or fired.
It’s probably not a coincidence that some alleged prison beatings occur in spots where there are no surveillance cameras, says Howard Sapers, the federal correctional investigator. In his latest report he says video surveillance procedures in federal penitentiaries failed nearly 70 per cent of the time in 2012.
The Canadian government says it is working to improve that.
Prisoner sues
Former inmate Chris Reibling is suing the government for $2 million, claiming he was held down and beaten by guards in his cell.
Tough-on-crime initiatives by the current Canadian government have increased the number of people sent to prison. This has led some institutions to put two inmates in one cell which is not the normal practice. Prison guards complain of increased tension and say ‘tough on crime’ means ‘tough on corrections officers.’
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