Outbreak at Nova Institution for Women federal prison

Wellness Within calls on the Minister of Public Safety the Honourable Marco E. L. Mendicino to address the COVID outbreak at the Nova Institution for Women in Truro, Nova Scotia. Eight prisoners have tested positive for the virus, by far the largest outbreak in a prison setting in Nova Scotia since the pandemic began nearly two years ago.

Prisons are dangerous congregant settings in which contagion spreads quickly. Prisoners at Nova have already endured significant harm during the pandemic, including severe limitations to programs and visits with children and family- again suspended indefinitely in the face of this fourth wave.

The proportion of women in federal prisons who identify as Indigenous has now reached 50%.  Black people and people of colour are also disproportionately incarcerated, and BIPOC communities face higher risks of COVID-19.

Despite high vaccination uptake (over 90% of incarcerated people at Nova are double vaxxed), with the high transmissibility of omicron, prisoners cannot protect themselves from the danger presented by staff who enter and leave the institution daily.

The prison system is not keeping the public safe. People in prison are part of the public that needs protecting from COVID-19. The safest solution is to facilitate early release for as many prisoners as possible, as quickly as possible. Prisons are an enormous public expense- over $2.4 billion every year in the federal system alone. This is funding that could be used to actually address harms to public safety, like income inequality and housing insecurity.

Wellness Within has long called for the end of incarceration of pregnant people and primary caregivers. Canadian research shows over 80% of incarcerated women have given birth and have an average of four children. COVID-19 has only increased the urgency of this call.

Wellness Within is a registered non-profit organization working for reproductive justice, prison abolition, and health equity in K'jipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

Contact: Martha Paynter, Chair. 9022927082, martha.paynter@gmail.com