Despite three separate assaults on guards in five days, Justice Minister Ross Landry maintained the Central Nova Correctional Facility is safe.
“I’m going to look you straight in the eye and say absolutely. This is a safe environment,” said Landry. “Are incidents going to occur? Of course … Do we need to improve? Absolutely.”
Landry held a press conference at the Burnside jail yesterday to announce the province will be purchasing around 140 additional stab- and bullet-proof vests for the approximately 440 prison guards working in Nova Scotia.
There are currently 300 of the vests in facilities across the province. Each vest costs $660, putting the total cost of the additional vests just under $100,000.
The announcement came two days after the latest incident at the prison, where an inmate attempted to head-butt a guard.
