No books, visits, or showers: Pandemic prison conditions in Quebec spark human rights debate – APTN News

There are now over 5,000 confirmed cases of COVID-19 tied to federal prisons and provincial jails across the country according to recent data collected by the Criminalization Punishment and Education Project based out of the University of Ottawa.

According to that data, during the second wave of the pandemic, it’s provincial jails – not federal prisons – that are grappling with widespread outbreaks.

Provincial jails in Quebec, in particular, are among the hardest-hit, with over 460 active cases of the virus reportedly affecting both inmates and corrections staff.

Advocates say Quebec’s handling of the issue is directly interfering with inmates’ human rights.

Nadia Golmier is a corrections lawyer who represents First Nations and Inuit detainees serving time in various facilities in Quebec.

Read More: https://www.aptnnews.ca/national-news/quebec-jails-covid-19-pandemic-human-rights/