'Significant concerns': Provincial watchdog investigating Saskatchewan's most notorious women's jail

The provincial ombudsman is investigating conditions at a notorious women’s jail in Saskatchewan.

In a public notice on Monday, provincial ombudsman Sharon Pratchler called on anyone who has been incarcerated in the Pine Grove Correctional Centre to contact her office if they’ve been “adversely impacted by experiences or conditions there.”

“We are aware of significant concerns through complaints made to our office, and decided it is in the public interest to investigate,” said Pratchler, who is tasked with looking into complaints about provincial government services.

The provincial women’s jail located just north of Prince Albert, Sask. has been plagued by concern in recent years over unsanitary conditions and overcrowding, and a spate of deaths among its inmates.

Two women died at Pine Grove in the first two months of the year after being “found unresponsive in their cells," and between 2019 and 2022, there were six deaths in the facility.

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In 2022, inmates at Pine Grove conducted a hunger strike over complaints their drinking water tasted and smelled like raw sewage.

The ombudsman says it’s investigation will consider “to what degree trauma-informed practices and Truth and Reconciliation principles are incorporated into the treatment of individuals in the care of Pine Grove.”

A newly-created position of Knowledge Keeper and Elders’ Helper has been created at Ombudsman Saskatchewan and will start work in early September.

The timeline of the investigation depends on how many people come forward and the nature of their issues, the provincial watchdog says.

Pratchler is expected to issue a public report once the investigation is complete. The last time her office did a comprehensive review of provincial correctional centres was in 2002.