The Saskatchewan Green Party is calling on the provincial government to immediately release the immunocompromised from prisons and detention centres, along with those not at risk to reoffend.

Four of Saskatchewan’s adult jails and three youth correction facilities have Covid-19 outbreaks.

Party leader Naomi Hunter called the situation deplorable, referring to the SaskParty Corrections, Policing and Public Safety Minister Christine Tell saying she cannot release prisoners. Hunter says Saskatchewan has double the number of remand prisoners than the Canadian average. She says the situation is unacceptable and is calling for Tell to step down.

The Saskatchewan Green Party insists that Premier Moe and Minister Tell do the right thing and take immediate measures to reduce the risk to inmates, corrections workers, their families and the province as a whole.