PENETANGUISHENE — A unit at Central North Correctional Centre (CNCC) has gone into lockdown.
The move is based on security concerns, said Richard Dionne, a corrections officer and president of OPSEU Local 369.
While he couldn't share any specific details around the incident or circumstances that led to the lockdown, Dionne explained that lockdown searches occur for various reasons, including drugs, weapons or if an inmate has lost an item that could pose a security risk to another inmate or an officer.
He said that can trigger a lockdown, which occasionally happens at CNCC.
Dionne emphasized the situation isn't due to a "health and safety" issue as had earlier been given today in a Barrie courtroom as the reason inmates couldn't access the CCNC's video conference room for their appearances.
"It may have been presented that way to the courts," he said. "I'm not sure why it would be reported that way. There are no labour issues or work-refusal issues at the facility. That information is slightly inaccurate."
Even though the current lockdown isn't due to a positive COVID-19 case, Dionne said there have been three cases identified at the facility up until now.
"We've managed to really keep it restricted," he said. "I can't specify if they were officers or inmates, but it's community-based. It hasn't been institutional spread. We haven't had any spread once we've discovered positive cases. We're really limiting the spread in the institution."
The last confirmed case was about a week and a half ago, said Dionne.
"The employer does contact tracing with public health and based on those discussions determines next steps for quarantines or lockdowns," he added. "No staff (members) have been directed to quarantine based on the positive cases. We're still running our intake and isolation wings, inmates are automatically quarantining as they enter the facility and if any inmates are showing signs they're isolated and tested prior to being released. That's where we've managed to control spread."
As for the current lockdown situation and its duration, Dionne said, that depends on the purpose of the lockdown and available staffing among other factors.
""We will search the area," he said, adding it's hard to say when the lockdown will be lifted. "The inmates are restricted to their cells and they're provided their necessities."
