Several lawyers’ groups in the province are calling for sweeping changes to Alberta’s prison system, including implementing early releases, to prevent an “impending emergency” due to the spread of COVID-19.
There are currently no confirmed cases of COVID-19 in any provincial remand, correctional or youth facility in Alberta, said an emailed statement on Tuesday from Katherine Thompson, a communications advisor for Alberta Justice.
However, in a letter addressed to Alberta’s minister of justice, Canada’s minister of justice, Alberta Health Services Corrections, and other government agencies, the Criminal Trial Lawyers Association and the Criminal Defence Lawyers Assocation of Calgary call for sweeping new measures in the prison system.