Former inmate says ombudsman's investigation of conditions at Sask. women's jail a chance for change

A former inmate at Saskatchewan's only jail for women says she's hopeful an investigation by the province's ombudsman will lead to change.

"It's an opportunity for us to come together and have a voice together, because together we're stronger as women," Chantel Huel said in an interview Wednesday. "It's an opportunity to start some changes."

Huel has had several stints at Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert, located approximately 140 kilometres northeast of Saskatoon.

Pine Grove is being investigated by Saskatchewan's ombudsman Sharon Pratchler, who has taken the rare step of publicly calling for testimony from those who've spent time inside the jail.

Pratchler has remained tight-lipped about her investigation, but wants to know about the conditions at the facility and how they've affected people.

Last month, the province confirmed there were as many as 275 inmates at Pine Grove, a facility built to house a maximum of 166 people.

A chapel, gymnasium and visitor area were filled with beds, while some cells designed for two people have had three, according to officials, in a practice known as "triple bunking."

The majority of people at Pine Grove — including Huel when she was there — are being held on remand. That means they have not been convicted of a crime and are waiting for their day in court.

Officials have previously confirmed that more than 90 per cent of inmates are Indigenous.

Concerns raised previously

Huel said she was "dopesick" — suffering from drug withdrawal — each time she was taken to Pine Grove. She said this meant she had very little awareness of her surroundings or conditions at the jail.

What she does remember is a lack of treatment for her withdrawal and a reliance on assistance from other inmates.

"When you come to a point that you're feeling better and the dopesick starts to clear, then you watch for the other individuals that come in and you start taking care of them, as others took care of you," Huel said.

Even though Huel is no longer an inmate, and her last time at a federal institution was four years ago, she's still looking to care for those inside Pine Grove and other prisons in Canada.

Asked what she thought about the ombudsman's investigation, her answer was simple.

"Finally."

Overcrowding at Pine Grove Correctional Centre has been reported for years. (CBC)

Overcrowding at Pine Grove has been well documented and dates back years. In November 2018, the province reported what at the time was a near-record number of inmates at the facility. It was housing 216 at that time, compared to the 275 recorded last month.

Huel said she contacted the ombudsman while she was in jail with concerns about treatment.

Despite the time that has passed since then, Huel said she is happy to see an investigation getting underway.

"It's not a sense of frustration because I come from a correctional background — obviously not working there, living there — and I know that the process of being a resident in those institutions is called a hurry-up-and-wait process," Huel said.

A spokesperson for the ombudsman's office declined to answer why the decision was made to investigate now. They said "significant concerns" were raised through complaints to their office.

"At this stage, we are not commenting on the nature of the complaints we received or giving examples. We don't want to make assumptions about what people will want to say. We want to invite people to contact us about their experiences and the conditions at Pine Grove, whatever they may be," communications director Leila Dueck said in a statement.