EMDC Entrance // Courtesy of Callidus
It’s well known that Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre, or EMDC, has had its fair share of issues. One man, who preferred to stay anonymous, reached out to XFM News to share the story of the past 7 months of his life.
“I saw a social worker get fired because she was bringing in [lewd] pictures for guys, a guy tried to fight against like three guards,” he said. “I saw guards overuse their power [physically] over verbal disagreements. I saw some very violent fights.”
EMDC has been a hotbed of controversy for a long time. Between a total of 15 deaths since 2009, and a $300 million class-action lawsuit involving 10,000 inmates, the standards of the detention centre have been called into question.
XFM News’ contact spent 7 months inside EMDC before his acquittal and subsequent release. He says there’s more than just violence. Overpopulation is an issue that seemed particularly dire.
“On a range (section of numbered cells) there are 12 cells, and two of those cells are converted from an old storage closet,” he told XFM News before explaining that these cells were originally built to hold one person.
“And then they slapped in a slab of concrete and they’re just like, hey, there’s enough room for another bed. And then there’s another guy sleeping on the floor,” he said.
He mentioned “inmate controlled ranges”, and his explanation of what exactly that entailed came next.
“There’s like the entrance exam, as I call it, where they essentially ask you what kind of meds that you get. Do you get any money? What charges do you have?” he said. “If you don’t either get money or get meds or have a package that you’ve brought in from the outside you will be turned and told to go and kick the cage.”
Kicking the cage refers to exactly what you might think. Kicking the caged portion of the unit to get the guards’ attention. What you’re expected to do next is tell the guards you need to move— that you’re no longer safe in that range.
What happens if someone isn’t taken off of a range they aren’t safe on?
“13 people jumped this one fella on the range and [beat him badly]. There was a two-week lockdown because of that,” he said.
When pressed more to elaborate on any abuses of power he’d seen, he clarified the situation.
“I didn’t see much of any physical abuse. Maybe once or twice. What I mean about the abuse of power is that some of them don’t take their jobs seriously,” he explained. “It’s just a job for them. They think, ‘This is what I do for a living. I come here and deal with your problems’. They act like they’re just underpaid babysitters for unwanted people.”
Finally, the conversation shifted to mental health and the state of the facilities.
“There are a lot of people who should have just been in a mental health care facility,” he said before being asked about the state of care for the mentally ill. “A lot of it was just based around sedation rather than actual mental health care, which was pretty disturbing.”
The state of the prison, according to XFM News’ contact, says things need to change.
“I feel bad not just for the inmates, but for the people who work there because it’s just filthy. Like it’s not a healthy, safe environment to work in or live in,” he told XFM News. “I guess some people would just say to you, ‘Well, that’s jail, don’t go there.’ But they’re still people. It’s not just inmates, some people have to work and facilitate and it’s crazy there.”
