The province says it's hiring 2,000 new corrections officers, but none will come to the South West Detention Centre.
The head of OPSEU Local 135, which represents corrections officers at Windsor's jail says they've already hired their full complement. Randy Simpragna says 26 new corrections officers are already on the job; another eight are in training, and a third group is waiting for training to start.
That said, Randy Simpragna with OPSEU Local 135 says he wouldn't mind more.
"We definitely need more staff just to deliver some of the new direct supervision type programs that are offered here," he says. "We actually want to expand some of the programming; give them [inmates] some of the skills they need to integrate back into our communities."
Simpragna says the provincial hiring spree should help address safety concerns at many facilities across the province.
"There's constant lockdowns through many of the institutions because they simply don't have the staff."
The only issue Simpragna takes with the new hires is that they'll be considered part-time. While they are guaranteed 40 hours of work a week, they won't have a set schedule. He hopes the province one day makes them full-time.
