Researching of Headingley Riot
Introduction
The Headingley Correctional Centre experienced one of the worst inmate unrest in history. On April 25, 1996, a riot occurred after a scuffle between the correctional officers (COs) and some prisoners in the facility’s basement (Williamson, 2017). Despite law enforcement’s efforts to contain the unrest, it lasted for nearly 24 hours before the prisoners eventually surrendered. Even though the facility suffered immense losses, no fatalities were reported.
The Causes of the Headingley Riot
The mistreatment of prisoners by COs has been cited as the main trigger of the riot. For example, Drew Janz, the riot’s ringleader, stressed that if the COs did not like particular prisoners, they would make their lives miserable (Williamson, 2017). Likewise, research indicates that the unrest may have been due to inadequately trained COs who could not contain the prisoners (Saskatchewan Manitoba Alberta Abolition Coalition, 2020). Any poor relationship between inmates and guards often results in hostility that may spark a revolt. Therefore, I believe that the COs’ mistreatment of the prisoners may have led to the riot.
The deplorable conditions at the facility may have been a contributing factor. Research shows that in 1954 inmates at the Headingley facility rioted against inadequate medical access and low-quality meals by damaging chairs and tables and setting fires at the facility (Saskatchewan Manitoba Alberta Abolition Coalition, 2020). Thus, there is a possibility that the lack of improvement of conditions in the facility triggered yet another riot in 1996 (Saskatchewan Manitoba Alberta Abolition Coalition, 2020). This report indicates a possibility that the prisoners at Headingley were living under appalling conditions and not receiving adequate healthcare and better meals. In my opinion, such circumstances may have caused the revolt because the inmates perceived it was the only way to compel the management to improve the facility’s conditions.
Nonetheless, according to Janz, the revolt was not planned. It occurred as a result of a volatile issue that escalated beyond control. Before the ordeal, the COs had confiscated drugs from some inmates and began to search the prison quarters for more substances when they encountered a prisoner who had been assaulted in a shower. This prompted the guards to align other prisoners in a corridor to probe who was involved in the assault. The inmates had previously signed a contract that stipulated that any assault would lead to a 90 day-lock-up and limited freedoms (Williamson, 2017). Therefore, some prisoners panicked at the idea of being locked up and began fighting the guards, which started the riot. I believe that solitary confinement poses a lot of adverse effects on prisoners; hence it is understandable that the inmates were terrified of being segregated and fought the COs triggering the riot.
The Effects of the Headingley Riot
The riot resulted in massive injuries and immense losses to the facility. Following the unrest, ten officers and over thirty inmates were severely assaulted. The injured prisoners were sex offenders and those alleged to be informants. Additionally, the facility suffered immense losses of around $ 3.5 million (Saskatchewan Manitoba Alberta Abolition Coalition, 2020). As a result, it was closed down for repairs for several months before being reopened. Due to the closure, the prisoners were transferred to other correctional facilities. Similarly, the inmates involved in the riot, including Janz, were charged with mischief endangering life and sentenced to two to eight years in prison (Williamson, 2017). I believe that that event could have been prevented if more guards had been involved in the searches. The revolt only occurred because the COs were overwhelmed by the inmates. Therefore, if Headingley had adequate guards doing rounds during the evening of the riot, the event would not have happened because they would have effectively controlled the situation.
Policies Enacted After the Headingley Riot
Following the unrest, several policies were implemented to prevent the occurrence of prison riots. In this case, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) was established to ensure a good working environment and professionalism among correctional officers when dealing with inmates (Correctional Service Canada, 2018). Guaranteeing that correctional officer observe fairness and integrity in all their dealings within the prison creates a good relationship between them and the prisoners, thus avoiding any incidences of unrest.
In addition, regulations to safeguard prisoners’ rights have reduced prison riots. The Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms was enacted in 1982, which guarantees all inmates the privilege of being free from cruel and unusual penalties (Iftene, 2019). Like other citizens, it safeguards inmates’ right to life and security. Due to such rights, correctional facilities have slightly improved how they treat prisoners and their living conditions. Similarly, the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (CCRA) passed in 1992 safeguards prisoners against prolonged segregation stays (Iftene, 2019). Furthermore, recently, the CCRA introduced Structured Intervention Units (SIUs) to improve the lives of segregated convicts. The SIUs offer inmate-tailored interventions to assist such convicts’ reform (Public Safety Canada, 2022). Therefore, multiple regulations were implemented after the riot to improve the relations between COs and prisoners and enhance prison conditions to prevent unrest in prisons.
Conclusion
The Headingley unrest was mainly caused by negative relationships between the guards and the prisoners. Deplorable conditions at the facility were a contributing factor. The event resulted in massive injuries to some guards and several inmates. In addition, it caused immense losses to the facility, but fortunately, no fatalities were reported. Based on my opinion, the riot would have been prevented had there been more guards on duty that fateful day. Nevertheless, following the riot, several policies, such as CCRA, have been implemented to protect inmates’ rights and ensure that such events never occur again.
References
Correctional Service Canada. (2018). Mission, Values and Ethics Framework of the Correctional Service of Canada. Web.
Iftene, A. (2019). Punished for aging: vulnerability, rights, and access to justice in Canadian penitentiaries. The University of Toronto Press.
Public Safety Canada. (2022). Corrections and criminal justice policy. Web.
Saskatchewan Manitoba Alberta Abolition Coalition. (2020). Riots at Headingley correctional. Web.
Williamson, W. (2017). Riot redemption. The Free Press. Web.