More than 1,000 inmates locked in their cells amid staffing shortage at Montreal's Bordeaux prison
More than 1,000 inmates at Montreal’s Bordeaux prison were locked in their cells for more that 24 hours while staff conducted a search within the institution in recent days.
A spokesperson for Quebec’s public security ministry told CTV News 1,021 inmates in the Montreal Detention Facility were kept in their cells while staff conducted a search. She did not specify what they were looking for.
The confinement began on Friday, Oct. 15 at 1:15 p.m., and continued into the following day at 2:30 p.m.
On Saturday afternoon, most inmates were allowed out of their cells for alternating periods of time, while another, smaller group returned to their normal confinement schedule.
LACK OF STAFF
CTV first learned of the situation after receiving an anonymous tip from someone with knowledge of the institution.
They said that, while inmates were confined to their cells, they were not able to shower, nor were they allowed regular access to phones.
They also said that all or most of the lights had been turned off, and that a lack of staff had fostered a more violent atmosphere within the institution.
Public security spokesperson Marie-Josée Montminy did not confirm or deny those claims, writing in a statement that it’s “impossible for us to respond to each of the allegations considering that we do not know the identity of the person who made them.”
“However, it is true that … several prisoners had to stay in their cells longer than expected due to a lack of staff available to carry out all of the activities,” she wrote.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
More than 115 cases of eye damage reported in Ontario after solar eclipse
More than 115 people who viewed the solar eclipse in Ontario earlier this month experienced eye damage after the event, according to eye doctors in the province.
B.C. seeks ban on public drug use, dialing back decriminalization
The B.C. NDP has asked the federal government to recriminalize public drug use, marking a major shift in the province's approach to addressing the deadly overdose crisis.
Last letters of pioneering climber who died on Everest reveal dark side of mountaineering
George Mallory is renowned for being one of the first British mountaineers to attempt to scale the dizzying heights of Mount Everest during the 1920s. Nearly a century later, newly digitized letters shed light on Mallory’s hopes and fears about ascending Everest.
Orca calf that was trapped in B.C. lagoon for weeks swims free
An orca whale calf that has been stranded in a B.C. lagoon for weeks after her pregnant mother died swam out on her own early Friday morning.
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau on navigating post-political life, co-parenting and freedom
Sophie Gregoire Trudeau says there is 'still so much love' between her and Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, as they navigate their post-separation relationship co-parenting their three children.
'I was scared': Ontario man's car repossessed after missing two repair loan payments
An Ontario man who took out a loan to pay for auto repairs said his car was repossessed after he missed two payments.
Powerful tornado tears across Nebraska, weather service warns of 'catastrophic' damage
Devastating tornadoes tore across parts of eastern Nebraska and northeast Texas Friday as a multi-day severe thunderstorm event ramped up in the central United States, injuring at least three people.
Toxic testing standoff: Family leaves house over air quality
A Sherwood Park family says their new house is uninhabitable. The McNaughton's say they were forced to leave the house after living there for only a week because contaminants inside made it difficult to breathe.
Trump's lawyers try to discredit testimony of prosecution's first witness in hush money trial
Donald Trump's defence team attacked the credibility Friday of the prosecution's first witness in his hush money case, seeking to discredit testimony detailing a scheme between Trump and a tabloid to bury negative stories to protect the Republican's 2016 presidential campaign.