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A handful of inmates at Regina’s jail entered the fifth day of a protest by again refusing food trays on Friday, but a Ministry of Justice official suggested they are cheating by means of hoarded canteen items.

“We do know that many of the inmates continued to eat, although they refuse their trays,” said ministry spokesman Drew Wilby.

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“They stocked up on canteen items before the refusal began.”

Wilby specified that he’s referring to food available to inmates by order, possibly including things like chips and beef jerky. He said he could not confirm that all of the protesters were eating, but meant it as a “general comment.”

Seven inmates were still refusing their trays as of Friday afternoon, according to Wilby. The protest began on Monday morning with 12 prisoners participating. Wilby said the number has dipped as low as four.

The inmates at the jail were not immediately accessible by phone. But they conveyed a strong denial of Wilby’s allegations through Sherri Maier, founder of the advocacy group Beyond Prison Walls Canada.