SPRINGHILL - Staff and inmates at the Springhill Institution were working under lockdown conditions going into the weekend but details on the lockdown have been sketchy at best.
A communication officer for Corrections Canada's Atlantic Region confirmed last week the medium-security prison is under lockdown since Wednesday.
"It's a labour issue. I can't get into it any more than that," Étienne Chiasson said.
Chiasson said the lockdown was not a result of H1N1 virus and that inmates in the fenced-in facility have not been disruptive.
Shannon Oickle, Springhill Institution's communications officer, said Friday inmates are living with a modified routine but could not give further details on the lockdown, only saying negotiations between Corrections Canada and staff were ongoing.
A Corrections Canada employee who wished to remain anonymous said the Springhill Institution is under lockdown because guards are refusing to work with the inmate population until guards can have access to the H1N1 vaccination.
Oickle confirmed a suspected case of H1N1 infection was treated at the prison.
"As of today, there are no cases of inmates exhibiting flu-like symptoms but there was one. It was managed through health care and the inmate has since recovered," Oickle said.
An agreement to end the lockdown could come as early as Monday, Oickle said.
cgooding@springhillrecord.com
Springhill Institution locked down
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Published on
November 9, 2009
- Published on February 24, 2010
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Christopher Gooding
Guards refusing to work with inmates
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