Calls for a public inquiry into 5 inmate deaths

Five inmates of the Winnipeg Remand Centre have died in the past seven months and there is concern that families and the public may not learn why. A human rights lawyer and a prisoner advocate are demanding a public inquiry be called by the government of the province of Manitoba.

As it now stands, if someone dies in custody the government requires an investigation by officials from a different prison. But that’s not enough for John Hutton, director of the prisoners’ rights group the John Howard Society of Manitoba.

No obligation to make information public

“There is a requirement to look into the incident but there is no requirement to make that information public,” he says, not even to the family.

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If a chief medical examiner feels that there is a need for a coroner’s inquest then the reports would be made public. But such inquests are ordered only when the deaths are of a violent or unexpected nature. They are optional where an inmate’s death is related to medical issues or other causes.

Inmate said to have been denied medication

Regarding the death of 26-year-old Errol Greene in May, his wife said he was denied his epilepsy medication, suffered a seizure and died later in hospital.

Regardless of whether an inmate dies in a cell or in hospital, they are still in custody and the government should be obliged to notify the public,  said human rights lawyer Corey Shefman to CBC. Now that is not required.

Advocate calls for complete transparency

Pressure has mounted on the government, and the Manitoba minister of justice has indicated there will be a systemic review of these five deaths. “But,” says Hutton, “they haven’t promised to make that public or to do that in a public way.

“We’re hearing that they may do a detailed review…but we’re calling for that to be done as part of a public inquiry so that it’s completely transparent and the public gets to see what’s being done and what will be done in future.”