Suffering from assaults, abuse: Inside Manitoba's jails, corrections officers are struggling
Realities of working in corrections left one officer suffering physically, mentally before quitting
A former corrections officer says he couldn't guard his mind from the assaults, verbal abuse and incidents of self-harm he witnessed in Manitoba's jails.
That manifested in the severe chest pains and stomach ulcer his doctor said were the direct result of stress.
His friends said he grew distant; he was no longer himself. He'd barely sleep. Sometimes, he cried in public for no explainable reason.
"It didn't matter how much time I took off. I could take a week, I could take a day — it didn't help," said the corrections officer, who spent more than a decade in the job.
"I needed to remove myself from that environment."
His experience offers insight into new statistics that show how pervasive mental health challenges are among corrections officers.
More than one-fifth of all psychological injury claims made to the Workers Compensation Board of Manitoba in 2021 were filed by corrections officers.
The basis for such claims can range from post-traumatic stress disorder to mental disorders, a depressive state, anxiety, stress and burnout.
The numbers are revealing but in no way surprising to the former corrections officer, whom the CBC agreed not to name because he fears speaking out could harm his job prospects.
"Things are getting better, but there is a lot of stigma about coming forward with feeling that way," the officer said.
"We're not supposed to be affected by these things. It's part of the job, as they say."
Psychological injury, PTSD claims climb
WCB data shows the number of accepted psychological injury claims has more than doubled from 39 in 2018 to 83 in both 2020 and 2021.
Claims for post-traumatic stress disorder more than doubled from 2018, when there were 11, to 2021, when there were 24.
The data was obtained through a freedom of information request by the Manitoba Government and General Employees' Union, which represents corrections officers.
"I think the numbers show they're not getting the supports they need," MGEU president Kyle Ross said.
"We've been hearing from our corrections officers that the job is hard, it's difficult, and the issues and the incidents that happen in the job, they compound.
"It could be multiple things that happen over time and then eventually … they break down."
The retired corrections officer who spoke to CBC said the little incidents and interactions piled up until he couldn't handle it anymore.
He remembers trying to intervene as an offender was violently yanking handfuls of hair out of her head.
Family threatened
He can't shake the memory of an inmate saying she would slit his throat and murder his family, nor the gut-wrenching screams he heard, nor the blood he saw.
"You don't just forget that when you leave work and go home and carry on with your day. It keeps you up at night and you know, it never goes away," the corrections officer said.
It got to the point where the officer finally decided to quit. The barrage of verbal abuse was his breaking point, he said.
"There's no escaping it. You're walking into work, 'OK, what am I going to get today? Who's going to yell, scream, swear, threaten me today?' Me or my co-workers?"
In 2021, corrections officers whose WCB claims were accepted were, on average, off work 61 days longer than other workers who sustained a psychological injury at work.
Public safety expert Rosemary Ricciardelli, who has written a book on correctional officers, said it was inmates in jails who encouraged her to turn her attention to corrections officers and the enormous toll of their work.
Society and governments need to address correctional facilities and ensure they're venues for rehabilitation, she said.
"The well-being of staff and the well-being of prisoners are both tied to the environment," said Ricciardelli, a research chair in safety, security and wellness at the school of maritime studies at Memorial University of Newfoundland.
"So unless we pay more attention and make sure that individuals are having their needs met in ways that are healthy and humane, everyone will suffer."
The jobs of corrections officers have become more difficult over time, as they're increasingly asked to take on greater responsibilities in the realm of rehabilitation, as well as building rapport with offenders, which can be emotionally taxing, she said.
Employee wellness unit
The Manitoba government said it has responded to the difficulties of the job by establishing a new unit focused on the safety, health and wellness of corrections employees. A co-ordinator position has also been established for injured employees, acting as a liaison between the WCB and the worker's employer.
Ricciardelli said she's noticed, in her discussions with Manitoba Corrections, that they're keen to help their staff.
"I know that there's really good … intentions and I see that across the country."
MGEU embarked on a multimedia advertising campaign in September, called "More Than a Uniform," to bring attention to the challenges of people working in Corrections and ensure they have necessary resources and mental health supports available. Ads have been placed on radio, billboards and online.
"Our corrections campaign is an opportunity to bring to light how difficult this job is and that our corrections officers are just normal people doing a job to keep Manitobans safe and to keep each other safe and keep the people that are incarcerated safe," said Ross, the union president.
The corrections officer who agreed to an interview said he encourages any efforts that may help his former colleagues.
He's doing better now, but he still struggles to sleep.
"Some people are able to deal with things a lot better. They have their own coping mechanisms, family and good support systems around them, but there's a very similar tone throughout Corrections that people are struggling and looking for other supports."
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