Security beefed up at Dartmouth jail

Nova Scotia's justice minister is promising better surveillance of inmates and more staff in an attempt to stop violent attacks at the Dartmouth jail.

Ross Landry said the "escalating" violence at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility won't be tolerated.

He said 30 part-time workers will be hired and guards will carry hand-held devices to record when and who conducted rounds.

"In addition, a more vigorous camera-monitoring policy will be implemented," Landry told reporters on Monday. "We also plan to upgrade the cameras for better visual oversight in the day rooms and around cell areas."

"The end result will be increased surveillance and supervision of offenders."

In addition, the province's director of correctional services, Sean Kelly, will be relocated to the jail and will "devote all of his time to the issues" there, Landry said.

Kelly said he will move into the facility as soon as possible so he can personally oversee the new changes at the jail.

"I'm not going to say that they'll be no incidents tomorrow or the next day, but what I can say is some of the changes that we're making now will make a difference," Kelly said.

"We'll continue to make those changes until there is a significant improvement and we don't have these types of incidents and again we won't eliminate them altogether but what our efforts will be towards are mitigating these types of risks."

The province also plans to have a new compliance and investigation unit in place by March.

There have been a number of violent incidents at the jail, most recently on Thursday night when several inmates got into a fight. Police said a 39-year-old man suffered serious head injuries.

Joan Jessome, president of the Nova Scotia Government and General Employees Union, said hiring 30 part-time workers "can't happen quick enough."

"They're telling me they're going to work not knowing when they're going to be able to come home because they are so short of staff," she said.

"The technology that's coming in really is the right thing to do. I mean, the correctional officers are saying that they're swamped with the paperwork but it can't replace the officers. We need more boots on the ground."

Landry has already said that guards will have to wear protective vests in any situation where they may have to deal with an inmate.

The correctional facility, known as the Burnside jail, is the province's largest. It houses some of Nova Scotia's most dangerous offenders.