Andrea Woo, Vancouver, B.C. (Vancouver Sun) – Four RCMP officers and three civilian municipal staff at a Kamloops jail are the subjects of criminal and internal code of conduct investigations following an Aug. 18 cellblock incident involving two prisoners.
Global News, citing a well-placed source, reported Friday that one of the two female prisoners is HIV positive. The women were placed in the same cell and allegedly became involved in an intimate encounter that lasted between 30 and 60 minutes. RCMP and prison staff, who watched the encounter via video cameras for about seven minutes, did nothing to stop it, the source told Global.
RCMP confirmed Friday four RCMP members and three municipal staff were being investigated by the Kamloops detachment’s and E Division’s serious crime units as well as E Division’s professional standards unit.
The investigation focuses on their “action or inaction” in relation to the Aug. 18 cellblock incident, according to an RCMP news release.
One of the detainees is also the subject of a criminal investigation, the normal course when an HIV-positive person allegedly engages in sexual activity with another person without disclosing his or her condition.
The Kamloops detachment jail is equipped with video cameras, Sgt. Garry Kerr, acting officer in charge at the Kamloops detachment, confirmed.
Kerr would not comment on the details of the incident, but said guards have an obligation to stop any sort of sexual activity among detainees.
“There are no guidelines just in effect to that, but if a guard sees that there is inappropriate behaviour going on, considering where they are, obviously they would be in obligation to do something,” Kerr said.
There is no medical screening for newly arrived prisoners and they are not required to divulge medical conditions such as HIV.
Some disciplinary action has already been taken against the people involved, Kerr said, but he would not reveal specifics.
“We’ve got a lot of work to do on this,” Kerr said.
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7 minutes of nothing? The one female prisoner was HIV positive – and engaged in sexual activity with another individual without disclosing that information – the last time I checked, that’s illegal?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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This detachment appears to be out of control lately. They must have a great guy running the day to day operations there. Whoever he is, he seems to be showing great leadership to his men. Every other week there is something in the paper about Kamloops. The Inspector in charge of the detachment operations, should be held accountable for his men’s actions, maybe then, the men under him would act responsibly. It wouldn’t surprise me to learn that he was in the room watching the show since there’s a Sgt acting in charge of this place.
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Well this should make for an interesting round of policy decisions. What rights do prisoners have when they wish to be amorous? Should the video feeds be turned off? Should they be physically restrained? What is the definition of inappropriate behavior between two consenting adults? Perhaps the guards should only have watched intermittently to ensure there was no threat to life and limb? Seven minutes of figuring out what to do may be too long?
Hot debate. What do you think?
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