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At a sentencing hearing in Prince Albert Thursday morning, the Crown Prosecutor commented violent incidents at the men’s correctional institution in the city are on the rise and so there needs to be greater denunciation and deterrence.
Maureen Longworth’s statement came after the court heard about a pair of fights that occurred weeks apart last November and were similar in the fact the victim was assaulted by multiple people.
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Zanick Merasty, who was involved in both incidents, received a nine month sentence. This will start next week after the expiration of another sentence he’s serving for assault with a weapon.
On Nov. 12, he and another inmate attacked the victim in a cell. Merasty was observed jumping and stomping on the victim’s head. OC spray was deployed by the responding correctional officers.
The injuries were described minor in nature and the victim told police he was attacked over past charges and gang involvement.
The next incident occurred on Nov. 28 in a common room area and this time Merasty was involved in a 3-on-1 attack.
Once again OC spray was needed to control the inmates.
Longworth noted an aggravating factor with these types of assaults is the victim has nowhere to run.
“The state has an obligation to protect people in custody,” she said.
Defence lawyer Brian Pfefferle stated Indigenous people are over represented in the jails and that it’s not uncommon for people to “run with the hounds” in this environment.
In relation to a separate assault that occurred at the correctional facility on Nov. 25, 202, Griffith Linklater received eight months.
The incident was a 2-on-1 attack and involved multiple punches thrown outside a staff office. Attempting to protect himself, the victim tried to enter the office but was pushed back out by correctional officers and OC spray was deployed.
“They have nowhere to go to to avoid it,” Longworth again reiterated about the environment where these assaults are occurring.
Meanwhile as this was occurring, a separate fight had also broken out nearby, thereby creating further challenges for staff.
According to stats provided by the Ministry of Community Safety, from Jan. 1, 2025 to the end of November, there were 277 violent incidents at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre. This compared to 302 for all of 2024.
Meanwhile discipline hearings in Saskatchewan’s jails are getting a little more complicated.
The province is making changes so that, when it comes to disciplinary hearings, the offence has to be proven beyond a reasonable doubt. Before a Supreme Court Case last spring, it just had to be proven it was more probable the inmate did it.
Grace Gardner with the John Howard Society said the changes are a good first step towards a better atmosphere in jails.
— with files from CKOM News
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