More than 30 inmates charged in series of Saint John jail riots
Andrew Bates,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
A total of 32 people have been charged in a series of jail riots at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre dating to January of last year, according to the Saint John Police Force.
On June 27, 16 people made first appearances in Saint John provincial court on charges of damage to the correctional centre and participating in a riot, with a further six returning for election or plea. The charges relate to incidents on Jan. 25, 2023, Aug. 15, 2023, and March 29, 2024.
In January 2023, the province told Brunswick News that a unit at the jail on Old Black River Road had been closed for repairs due to damage from a “disturbance” that led to a 10-hour lockdown. Seventeen people appearing in court late last month were charged related to that event.
According to provincial spokesperson Allan Dearing, four inmates allegedly barricaded doors March 29, “which resulted in structural damage and additional damages to CCTV cameras, a TV and the phone system.”
Following that, Dearing said there was another incident May 30 in which 16 inmates allegedly barricaded a unit, “breaking security windows, a CCTV camera and living-unit doors.” He said there was a fire lit that was quickly extinguished, which saw “multiple first responder agencies” called.
The August 2023 incident involved nine inmates and resulted in “major damage to the unit,” according to to Dearing, with ceilings “being pulled down,” cell windows broken and “all electronics damaged” including tablets, TVs, cameras and lighting, as well as the sprinkler system triggering. There were no injuries in any of the three instances, according to Dearing.
Dearing said information was forwarded to Saint John police for follow-up. Staff Sgt. Matt Weir said a total of 32 charges have been laid in the four incidents, with one of the disturbances still under investigation.
A unit at the jail had previously been damaged at a cost of $400,000 Dec. 7, 2021, due to a riot which lead to charges against seven people, with sentences handed out in the incident ranging from house arrest to two years in jail.
Andrew Bates,
Local Journalism Initiative Reporter
Telegraph-Journal
