Prisoner advocacy group calls on Nova Scotia to launch independent review of jails

A prisoner rights group says the Nova Scotia government must pass a law requiring independent monitoring of the province’s jails.

In a report released today, the East Coast Prison Justice Society says provincial inmates complain of issues such as prolonged lockdowns and poor access to health care.

The group’s annual report is a compilation of comments gathered from nearly 800 phone calls from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023, with inmates in the jail system.

Inmates also complained of little access to cultural and spiritual support programs, particularly for African and Indigenous Nova Scotians.

The group issued 42 recommendations, including that the province launch an independent review to identify necessary changes to the jail system, including on issues such as health care.

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Barbara Adams, the province’s justice minister, told reporters this morning the province is open to an independent review but offered no further details.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.