REGINA - Anyone who has been negatively impacted by incarceration at Pine Grove Correctional Centre in Prince Albert is asked to contact the Saskatchewan Ombudsman and make a formal complaint.
The Saskatchewan Ombudsman is inviting those who have been incarcerated at Pine Grove to contact her office if they have been adversely impacted by experiences or conditions at the facility.
“We are aware of significant concerns through complaints made to our office, and decided it is in the
public interest to investigate,” Ombudsman Sharon Pratchler said.
People can contact the Ombudsman’s office through a number of options:
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Call 1-844-608-1180 (toll-free) or 306-787-4236. These are dedicated lines set up for this
purpose. They will be available from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday to Friday, as well as Friday
evenings and Saturday.
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Go to ombudsman.sk.ca and click on Pine Grove Complaint Form.
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Write a letter to the Ombudsman at 500 – 2103 11th Avenue, Regina, SK, S4P 3Z8.
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People can also request an in-person meeting with the Ombudsman or a member of her team. They will travel to
communities, including northern communities, to make it easier for people to speak with
them.
Ombudsman Saskatchewan has a Pine Grove complaint form available on its website. All information provided is kept confidential.
The Ombudsman's investigation will also look at what extent "trauma-informed practices and Truth and Reconciliation
principles" are incorporated into the treatment of people in the care of Pine Grove. A new position of
Knowledge Keeper/Carrier and Elders’ Helper has been created at Ombudsman Saskatchewan and will
start work in early September.
The investigation timeline will depend on how many people come forward and the kinds of issues they
raise.
Pratchler says a "fair and impartial process and trauma-informed approaches" will be applied throughout the
investigation.
When the investigation is complete, the office of Ombudsman Saskatchewan will issue a public report,
including any recommendations.
The last comprehensive review of custody conditions in Saskatchewan correctional centres undertaken by
Ombudsman Saskatchewan was in 2002. The report, titled Locked Out is on its website.
Ombudsman Saskatchewan receives complaints from people who believe they have been treated unfairly by
a provincial or municipal service. The Ombudsman is a Legislative Officer operating under The
Ombudsman Act, 2012.
The aim of Ombudsman Saskatchewan according to its website is to "promote and protect fairness and integrity in the design and delivery of government services."
