The Saskatchewan Ombudsman is beginning to collect information around people who have experienced adverse treatment at Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert.
On Monday, the office of Saskatchewan Ombudsman Sharon Prachtler announced that they are those who have been incarcerated at Pine Grove to contact her office if they have been adversely impacted by experiences or conditions there.
“We are aware of significant concerns through complaints made to our office, and decided it is in the public interest to investigate,” Ombudsman Sharon Pratchler said in a release.
The investigation will also consider to what degree trauma-informed practices and Truth and Reconciliation principles are incorporated into the treatment of individuals in the care of Pine Grove.
A new position of Knowledge Keeper/Carrier and Elders’ Helper has been created at Ombudsman Saskatchewan and will begin work in early September.
The investigation timeline will depend on how many people come forward and the types of issues they raise.
According to a spokesperson Leila Dueck, the information that is collected will determine the scope of the future report.
“We haven’t provided examples of the complaints we received because we want to invite people to contact us and we don’t want them to think that those are the only things we are interested in. We want to open the door for them to contact us with any concerns they may have about their experiences or the conditions at Pine Grove,” she said.
She added that when the investigation is complete, they will have more information about the kinds of concerns received, how the investigation proceeded, and what was found.
Pratchler stated in the release that a fair and impartial process and trauma-informed approaches will be applied throughout the investigation.
When the investigation is complete, the office of Ombudsman Saskatchewan will issue a public report, including any recommendations.
The last comprehensive review of custody conditions in Saskatchewan correctional centres undertaken by Ombudsman Saskatchewan was in 2002. The report, titled Locked Out is on their website.
Ombudsman Saskatchewan receives complaints from people who think they have been treated unfairly by a provincial or municipal service. The Ombudsman is a Legislative Officer operating under The Ombudsman Act, 2012.
To connect with the Ombudsman’s office, choose any of these options. Call 1-844-608-1180 (toll-free) or 306-787-4236. These are dedicated lines set up for this purpose. They will be available from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday to Friday, plus Friday
evenings and Saturday. Go to ombudsman.sk.ca and click on Pine Grove Complaint Form. Write a letter to the Ombudsman at 500 – 2103 11th Avenue, Regina, SK, S4P 3Z8. You can also request an in-person meeting with the Ombudsman or a member of her team. They will travel to communities, including northern communities, to make it easier for individuals to speak with them.
Because the report and data collection are just beginning Prachtler herself was not available for an interview.
