London jail should be replaced, jury recommends

The province should replace the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) with a new facility, according to recommendations outlined by the jury in a coroner's inquest that wrapped up on Monday.

"For years now, we've known that EMDC is vastly overcrowded," said Kevin Egan, the lawyer representing the families of the inmates.

EMDC was originally built for about 150 inmates, but it routinely houses as many as 500 inmates at a time.

It's recommended the new facility be "designed to adequately accommodate, with dignity, the inmate population and to provide an environment with suitable space in which inmates may achieve rehabilitation and reintegration."

In total, 80 recommendations were made by jurors and they were split into sections such as "admission," "staff training" and "supports for Indigenous people."

Jurors in the inquest, which began in late February, were tasked with looking into the deaths of two inmates at London's troubled provincial jail. 

Floyd Deleary died from a fentanyl overdose in August 2015, and Justin Thompson died from a fentanyl and cocaine overdose in October 2016.

Culture change one of the recommendations

Among the recommendations include planning an infirmary within the new institution, the installation of electronic devices capable of monitoring vital signs "when inmates' vital signs indicate medical distress," more frequent checks on inmates by correctional staff and putting naloxone kits in common areas. 

Under "supports for Indigenous people," the jury recommended Indigenous inmates be provided access to Indigenous healing practices such as "Knowledge Keepers and Elders" and the implementation of a medicine garden, sweat lodge and tipi.

In addition, it's also recommended the province institute a task force looking into cultural change inside institutions such as EMDC. The report asks EMDC to adopt a new policy to stop using words such as parade, welfare cell, inmates and offenders.

The jury "actually talked about investigating and developing a plan to shift the culture towards something that's rehabilitative," Egan said. 

"That to me stands out as the most important, aside from the fact that the facility itself is outdated and dysfunctional."

'Cathartic process'

While the jury can make recommendations, the province does not have to follow them. 

"If [the province] chooses to ignore, we have civil actions, we have the will of the people," said Egan.

"This serves not only as a cathartic process for the families to find out what happened to their loved ones ... but it does put some pressure on the government to actually make some changes."

Liz Thompson, Justin's mother, said the design of the current EMDC facility makes it difficult for correctional officers to monitor all inmates properly.

"I'm hoping that any recommendations that are made, that they are heard by the Ministry," she said.

During the inquest, jurors were charged with answering five questions about each inmate's death: who died, when they died, where they died, how they died and the manner of death.

The inquest was originally tasked with looking into the death of a third inmate, Murray James Davis. Egan said a witness gave testimony that suggested further police investigation was needed, and so the inquest into his death was stopped.