Barton Jail inmates go on hunger strike, calling for change

Inmates at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre on Barton Street have started a hunger strike due to some conditions and are calling for change.

The hunger strike began Wednesday morning according to Cedar Hopperton, a spokesperson for the Barton Solidarity project, an advocacy group that speaks for inmates.

Inmates are demanding access to all TV channels at the jail, which they say they were previously permitted to watch after a collective action in 2021.

They also want an end to what they say are frequent lockdowns sometimes lasting days, as well as daily time in the outdoor yard and faster mail delivery.

Hopperton says there is a wide participation among inmates on the fourth floor of the building, there isn’t an exact number of participants but the spokesman estimates it to be over 100.

The advocacy group held a demonstration outside the jail Wednesday, and they are calling on the management to negotiate directly with inmates in good faith to meet their demands.

Another demonstration is planned for Friday at 5:30 p.m. on the Ferguson Street bridge.

This is not the first hunger strike at Barton Jail as inmates have previously went on strike several times during the COVID-19 pandemic.

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