Toronto East Detention Centre prisoners launch hunger strike to protest frequent lockdowns, harsh conditions

After going 12 days with a total of 20 minutes time spent outside, prisoners in a Toronto East Detention Centre unit are on a hunger strike — at least the seventh launched by inmates during the of frequent lockdowns and harsh conditions in Ontario jails.

The inmates, most of whom are awaiting trial, are demanding access to daily outdoor recreation and exercise time, affordable phone calls, rehabilitative and educational programming, and improved access to radio and television, in part, to remain informed about the pandemic, according to a list shared publicly by the Toronto Prisoners’ Rights Project and the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project.

Inmates at the jail are also seeking cheaper and increased options in the canteen, including more hygiene products, and an end to invasive strip searches through the adoption of full body scanners.

“Going into the second wave (of COVID-19) are these conditions going to be prolonged? Are they going to worsen? Will already meagre access to yard time and communications be further drawn back?” asked Jessica Evans, an assistant professor of sociology at Ryerson University and co-founder of the .

According to a news release, an unnamed prisoner who helped organize the hunger strike described conditions as “oppressive, cruel and unusual punishment.”

A spokesperson for the Ministry of the Solicitor-General confirmed that some inmates refused meals on Wednesday at the jail.

“Staff are speaking to the inmates, and, where feasible, efforts are being made to address their concerns,” said spokesperson Kristy Denette, noting that hunger strike procedures are being followed.

By deadline the ministry had not confirmed whether the inmates had been denied yard time over 12 days.

There were only two active COVID-19 cases in Ontario jails as of Oct. 5, both at the Toronto South Detention Centre. Overall, jails have been successful in avoiding the widespread outbreaks feared at the onset of the pandemic, but Evans said this has come at a steep cost for prisoners.

“The prevention of the spread of the virus was oftentimes at the expense of basic human rights … and other aspects of health,” she said.

She noted that limited access to phone calls in particular has hindered release planning for prisoners who are re-entering the community.

COVID-related implications for inmates and jails have led to shortened sentences and efforts by police, the Crown and the court to lessen the intake of new inmates.

Lockdowns, at the best of times, are taken into consideration by the courts as a reason to give more credit for time spent on remand, as was the case for Cameron Steckley in a

Steckley, who pleaded guilty to possessing a prohibited handgun and ammunition while prohibited to do so, initially spent 540 days of remand time at Toronto East, moving to the Toronto South Detention Centre on Feb. 12 of this year for another 105 days.

At Toronto East, Steckley — a model prisoner who is now 25 and graduated with high grades from high school while incarcerated — had limited minutes of yard time, and had access to it 40 per cent of the time due to 62 days of lockdowns and eight days in the stabilization unit.

“The activities relieved his stress,” reads his , which quotes from jail records. “When he did not get such access, he was frustrated, and his feelings of stress increased.”

There were similar limitations at Toronto South, and Steckley had not had an in-person visit with his mother since January.

“Overall, my time in both detention centres has had a negative effect on my physical and mental well-being,” Steckley wrote in an affidavit prepared for his sentencing. The lockdowns, he said, caused “increased tensions” and fights among inmates, which required him to be “in a constant state of alertness.

“The worst part of it is that the conditions have made me feel numb. I am used to the conditions even though I believe they are inhumane.”

Justice Jane Kelly found Steckley was subject to “harsh conditions” that were “detrimental” to him, and “purely a result of staff shortages.” The pandemic only made things worse.

While Steckley’s sentence was for three and a half years, due to remand credits — including an added credit for additional hardships brought on by the pandemic — Steckley was freed June 3, and required to serve no additional time.

Alyshah Hasham is a Toronto-based reporter covering crime and court for the Star. She can be reached by email at . Follow her on Twitter: @alysanmati

Jim Rankin is a Star reporter based in Toronto. Follow him on Twitter: