Kenora, Ont., jail staff 'hurting' after hostage-taking, officer says

Staff at the district jail in Kenora, Ont., are "hurting" after an incident last Friday afternoon when inmates took a corrections officer hostage, according to a long-time officer.

"We've been very fortunate, we ... haven't had anybody killed yet, [but] we've had people injured," said Greg Arnold, a provincial bailiff based in Thunder Bay, who was called to Kenora in the wake of the incident.

"It's hard on the staff; I know right now, the Kenora jail staff, most of them are my friends ... they're hurting, they really are."

• Guard taken hostage at Kenora, Ont., jail, released, ministry says

• Every inmate at Kenora, Ont., jail has addictions, mental health issues: human rights commissioner

Arnold said Friday's incident was the third hostage-taking he's been called to in the past 10 years in northern Ontario. In 2015, an officer at the Thunder Bay District Jail was hospitalized after being captured during a riot. Arnold said another similar incident also occurred several years ago in Fort Frances.

That highlights the inadequacy of many of the province's facilities, Arnold said, adding that the infrastructure hasn't kept up with current realities.

"[The jails are] old key and bars," he said. "What's happening is the ideology is way ahead of the infrastructure in this province."

"This causes concerns for health and safety."

Arnold pointed to ongoing efforts to reform corrections in Ontario but added that many facilities are now simply inadequate.

"We're sitting in aging facilities," he said. "When I started my career 35 years ago, we still locked people up for shoplifting; that no longer happens."

"People that are in prison now ... the level of offender has gone up, it's dangerous."

'Extremely traumatic experiences'

The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services said the officer who was taken hostage has been released from hospital and is recovering at home.

"Our thoughts are with the officer and his family during this difficult time," spokesperson Brent Ross said in an emailed statement to CBC News. "The impact of these events goes far beyond the individual involved."

Arnold said he knows the officer who was captured and helped train him several years ago. He added that, while the physical damage heals, incidents like this one can be very difficult to recover from mentally.

"You can understand, these are extremely traumatic experiences for any individuals that are involved in these situations," he said.

The province said it is investigating what happened at the Kenora jail but "it would be inappropriate to speak to the details of this investigation," Ross said.

"As we investigateFriday'sincident, we are committed to working with frontline staff to make sure they have the resources they need to keep themselves and our communities safe."