WHAT HAPPENED? 
This story involves separate complaints from inmates at the Edmonton Remand Centre (ERC). In one, Peter Q. said that ERC staff threw out some important documents during a routine search. In the other, Nick P. complained that personal and canteen items went missing when he was transferred to a new unit.
WHAT DID THE OMBUDSMAN’S OFFICE DO?
The Ombudsman investigators looked into how the ERC reviewed and responded to the inmates’ concerns. In Peter’s case, our questions led ERC to discover that in this instance, they did not follow their own procedures for searching cells. With Nick, we found that the ERC’s review of the incident could have been more thorough, and that their response to him did not address his main concerns.
WHAT WAS THE OUTCOME?
Peter’s complaint resulted in a new review checklist that the ERC now uses when responding to similar situations. Nick, meanwhile, was compensated for the value of missing items and provided with a detailed explanation. In both cases, the ERC actively engaged with our investigators to resolve the complaints.
WHY DOES IT MATTER?
These cases illustrate that the Ombudsman’s work is often collaborative. Authorities that recognize gaps in their own processes and take actions to resolve them, like the ERC, improve fairness for the benefit of everyone. The Ombudsman’s office places great value on developing and maintaining productive working relationships with authorities as these often generate positive outcomes. For this reason, the Ombudsman was pleased to recognize the Custody Operations Branch of the Ministry of Public Safety and Emergency Services, who oversees the ERC, for Administrative Excellence in our 2024-2025 Annual Report.
