Correctional officer stabbed by inmate at Windsor, Ont. jail with makeshift weapon

A correctional officer at a Windsor detention facility was attacked by an inmate wielding a makeshift weapon, sustaining injuries to his cheek and neck area, according to the union representing employees at the jail.

The president of 135 Ontario Public Service Employees Union said the incident happened on March 14, 2024 around 9:30 a.m.

Two days prior, she said, the inmate had been taken out of a segregation unit and moved to a direct supervision unit.

In a segregation unit, cells have just one inmate inside. In a direct supervision unit, correctional officers are physically present and monitor multiple inmates throughout the day.

"They had to take him out of his cell to go to video court. Upon opening the cell door, he had attacked the officer with two golf pencils that he fastened together and stabbed and slashed the officer on the cheek and the neck area," said Union President Katrina Digiacinto.

Digiacinto, who has 15 years of experience as a corrections officer, was among those who responded to the incident. She said the officer survived and is "doing well."

"The doctor had said it was so close to his jugular that if it was any deeper, this would have been a completely different scenario," said Digiacinto.

Through a spokesperson, Ontario's Ministry of the Solicitor General said it is "aware that a staff member from the South West Detention Centre was injured."

"Violence within provincial correctional facilities is unacceptable, and the ministry has zero tolerance when it comes to assaults or threats against staff," the spokesperson added. "The ministry and police have launched an investigation into this matter."

According to Digiacinto, incidents of violence toward officers have been increasing over time because regional managers have been pressuring workers to move inmates out of segregated units if too much time has passed.

"So we have to take them out of segregation even when their behaviour is not matching it...and then they still act violently," she said.

To prevent similar assaults from happening, Digiacinto said it's imperative for the regional managers to give workers inside the jail more autonomy when it comes to deciding if an inmate is ready to be moved to a more open unit.

"We're the peace officers going in and risking our lives every single day to do the job. We're putting our lives on the line,” said Digiacinto. "They need to support us but we don't feel the support from the ministry."