By C1 Staff
CANADA — A corrections officer union in Canada is hoping to educate the public on the dangers officers face by showing a riot video from last February.
The video, according to CBC, shows a group of inmates involved in a riot in the HMP chapel on Feb. 9, alleged to be a targeted attack against convicted killer Kenny Green.
Though the union can’t comment directly on the case, they did say the video exemplifies what officers face every day.
“You can’t have people expected to be on a range or in an area all alone, a correctional officer. And it doesn’t matter if there is only one inmate there, you really need to have backup,” said Carol Furlong, president of NAPE.
“Management has to be more astute. They’re in charge, they’re in control of the place, they’re the ones who are calling the shots and making the policies and they have to be astute as well. Sometimes it means maybe you shouldn’t be putting rival people, rival groups in one area.”
It’s believed that HMP management knew something was going to happen the day of the riot and did nothing to prevent it, according to The Telegram.
“Maybe you’ve got rivalry groups, rivalry gangs or maybe you know that things are happening, maybe you’re hearing things, maybe you’re just suspect. On those days, you need to bring in measures, such as bringing in extra staff,” Furlong said.
In the video, inmates wear their own street clothes rather than a uniform. Furlong said this causes a major contraband issue, ranging from drugs to weapons.
Since the riot, officers are now armed with pepper spray, but Furlong says this doesn’t make up for common sense that management should show.
Defense lawyer Nick Avis is moving to have officials at HMP acknowledged as criminally negligent.