Security flaws at Yellowknife jail put everyone at risk, say whistleblowers

Security flaws in the fencing of Yellowknife's jail have not been addressed in recently announced upgrades, despite being used multiple times in the last several months for smuggling contraband into the jail, CBC News has learned.

Multiple employees at the North Slave Correctional Complex independently brought the flaws to CBC's attention, citing fear for the safety of inmates and staff. They say jail officials have known about the flaws for years.

CBC has agreed not to identify the employees out offear of reprisal.

The employees' concerns centre around the "school fence" that surrounds the building, in particular on the Kam Lake side of the complex away from the front office.

While the fencing around the newest additions to the jail and the courtyard are security fences, the employees say,the fence in this area has no security features such as electric current or razor wire.

At least twice since the beginning of March, the employees allege, someone outside the jail has scaled the fence and gone to one of the exercise yards within the facility which are separated from the outside by a second fence-like walland passed contraband inside to inmates.

The employees saycorrections officers were only made aware of the breaches after the fact, by spotting footprints in the snow surrounding the jail.

'Band-aid solution'

The employees expressed concerns that weapons could be smuggled into the jail in the same fashion as the contraband brought in in recent months, putting the safety of those in the complex at risk.

According to one employee, the only safeguards put into place to counteract the recent breaches was to restrict access hours for the exercise yards closest to the fence.

One characterized the response as a "lack of regard for glaring safety and security issues" and a "band-aid solution."

The employees say the security flaw has been raised for years with officials at the jail andthe Justice department, with no concrete solution proposed.

"You just almost get tired of bringing it up," one said.

The security flaws at the jail received increased public scrutiny in late 2016, following an escape by inmate Denecho King that triggered a three-day manhunt.

• Denecho King arrested in Yellowknife, 3 days after jailbreak

In a 2016 news release, the Justice department said King exploited a "pre-existing gap in the physical security" of the jail to get to the roof during his escape. The department promised security upgrades to address the problem.

However, according to the employees, the upgrades ultimately undertaken by the department, whichbegan last week, focus exclusively on eliminating rooftop access, and not upgrades to the fencing.

The employees suggested toCBCthat a short-term solution could be adding razor wire to the vulnerable fence while a more permanent solution is found. This, they said, would have delayed King's escape long enough for him to be apprehended.

"He wouldn't have got off the property," oneemployee said. "We would have intercepted him still on our property."

• Denecho King exploited 'pre-existing' gap to escape from Yellowknife jail

Justice can't discuss security projects

In 2017, Justice Minister Louis Sebert said in the Legislative Assembly that the upgrades had become "more complex and expensive" than the department anticipated.

The government ultimately went through multiple designs of the upgrades after contractors were unable to complete their initial requests to their specification and within their budget.

In his 2017 address to the assembly, Sebert referenced the jail's fencing multiple times, including quoting Robert Frost by saying "good fences make good neighbours."

• 'Good fences make good neighbours': N.W.T. justice minister gives update on Yellowknife jail upgrades

In the 2018/2019 capital estimates for the department, two projects are listed for the North Slave Correctional Complex. One is titled "Human Machine Interface/Harding Replacement and associated electronic equipment," while the other is titled "Programming, Commissioning and integration of new Building Security Control System."

Department of Justice spokesperson Ngan Trinh said the department was unable to provide additional detail on the proposed projects, due to safety concerns.

As of Monday morning, nobody from the Department of Justice was able to speak with CBCin regards to the specific flaws. However, Trinh said in an email that "the Department of Justice continually reviews security requirements at our facilities to ensure they meet operational requirements."

"While we cannot speak publicly about the security enhancements being undertaken, we can say that the department is continually upgrading safety and security at the facility through a combination of physical, electronic and operational measures," she said.