Inmates file lawsuits against Correctional Service Canada for break-in and assault at Kitchener prison

Ten inmates at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener filed lawsuits against Correctional Service Canada (CSC) stemming from a break-in that resulted in two people allegedly being assaulted.

“Many of [the inmates] feel that they've been set back. Anxiety is through the roof,” said Jeffrey Hartman of the Toronto-based law firm Lockyer Zaduk Zeeh, who represents the 10 inmates.

The lawsuits were filed in batches, some in late November and others in early December.

On Nov. 2, the Waterloo Regional Police Service said a 28-year old man from Kitchener was charged after he allegedly broke into the Grand Valley Institution for Women. 

Through an investigation, police said a man climbed the fence and gained access to the yard, where he allegedly assaulted two people once he was inside the facility.

A CSC spokesperson told CBC News at the time that the facility was immediately placed on lockdown to protect inmates and staff.

The man was charged with break-and-enter, two counts of assault and mischief under $5,000.

Yet Hartman said CSC’s response to the incident was “very slow.”

“All of my clients were in medium [security], which is surrounded by a fence that's six feet tall with razor wire,” Hartman said. “There's video cameras protecting the fence to ensure no one escapes but also no one enters.

“[CSC] ought to have known that [the man] was scaling the fence … it's someone's job to prevent intrusions like that, to observe intrusions and to prevent them from happening,” he further explained.

Incident ‘profoundly impactful’ to women affected: Hartman

Hartman said the break-in and assault has been “profoundly impactful” to the women affected.

“These women are not blank canvases. They came into prison with a great deal of trauma from their childhood, adolescence and adulthood. Many of them have suffered just outrageous and horrific sexual abuse from men. Many of them are Indigenous, which adds another layer of trauma,” he explained.

Hartman said some of the women even felt relieved about going to prison because “it meant they're going to have freedom from addiction, freedom from abuse, freedom from sexual violence.”

“For a man to essentially intrude into a prison where CSC knows that all of these women have this trauma, it's been profoundly impactful to them.”

After the incident, Hartman said “many of [the inmates] don't venture far away from their bedrooms.”

CBC News reached out to CSC. A spokesperson declined to address the questions stating the agency cannot comment on the allegations related to the on-going legal proceedings.

They, however, responded with the following statement:

“Ensuring the safety and security of staff, inmates, and the public remains CSC’s highest priority. We continue to take all necessary steps to maintain a safe environment while supporting the women in our care. CSC is actively reviewing the incident in order to gather all necessary information and to better position the sites in case of unexpected incidents like this in the future. For the safety, security, and integrity of our operations, the findings of this review cannot be shared externally,” the statement said.

“CSC employs a layered approach to security at all institutions, which includes physical barriers, detection systems, surveillance technology, and dynamic security practices. These measures are designed to ensure the safe operation of our facilities.”

Hartman said the next step is to wait for CSC’s statement of defence, which he anticipates will “downplay the severity of the incident.”