Reports of a rat infestation at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary come as no surprise to local lawyer Erin Breen.

An inmate recently spoke to CBC, outlining how bad the situation is inside The Pen. The concerns echo similar issues raised by inmates on VOCM Open Line more than a year ago.

Plans to replace the Victorian-era facility have been delayed, with government scrapping a previous Request for Qualifications late last year only to start the process again due to cost.

Just one submission was made to the last request for qualifications process this spring.

Both inmates and the union representing correctional workers at the site have complained about unsafe conditions inside the overcrowded facility.

Lawyer Erin Breen says the latest reports about vermin come as no surprise.

“This is a problem that’s everyone’s been talking about as long as I can remember” Breen told the Tim Powers Show on VOCM. “That building…has long outlived its life, and there’s very little that can be done, I mean, there’s just so many entry points…how can anyone control it?”