2 near-fatal overdoses in Regina courthouse last month underscore dangers of drugs in remand centres, jails

Two women waiting in cells to appear in court last month at Regina's provincial courthouse never made it before a judge.

Rather, they received emergency medical care after overdosing on what is believed to have been an opioid. 

Deputy sheriffs and staff noticed something was wrong and "began performing life saving measures such as CPR and first aid and actually brought those individuals back to life," Ministry of Justice spokesperson Drew Wilby said Wednesday.

The two were inmates at the White Birch Remand Unit.

Both survived. They were taken to hospital and released later that day. The naloxone nasal spray used to reverse opioid overdoses ​wasn't used in this incident.

However, Wilby said it's available at courthouses and in transport vehicles. 

This wasn't the first time a near-fatal overdose happened at the courthouse.

Three men overdosed there in August 2017. Paramedics responded and the men survived. A man was later charged with trafficking drugs in connection with the incident. 

Wilby said the Justice Ministry is trying to equip staff to react to emergencies such as this.

"But we don't want to see them have to perform in a situation like that. I mean, that's not why they signed up to do their job."

Body scanner for Regina jail

Lethal drugs in a courthouse are a public safety issue, he said, but noted people desperate enough for the drugs will find a way to get them in.

Wilby said a variety of factors drive the drug trade among those in custody — from addictions to gang activity to a search for simple profit.

He said a body scanner will be put into the Regina jail in the spring to stop drugs from being smuggled in. If that's successful, scanners might be implemented at other correctional facilities in the province.

Wilby says it's safe to say the province could "always do more" when it comes to preparing staff at correctional centres and courthouses to deal with overdoses.

Potency of drugs increasing

People in custody are considered one of the at-risk groups of people most affected by the opioid crisis in Canada, said Gabriela Novotna, who is an associate professor in the University of Regina's faculty of social work.

She said this is largely because individuals within the corrections system have a history of substance abuse and other risk factors.

Novotna said people bringing drugs into the system isn't a new development. However, what has changed is the potency of the illicit drugs.

Furthermore, she said people with addictions who wind up in custody risk losing their physiological tolerance for the drugs they're using.

"They might have a few days of abstinence, [and] they might lose tolerance," she said.

"If they access drugs again, even after a few days, the lower tolerance can cause [them to] accidentally overdose."

Novotna said the flow of drugs into the corrections systems should be targeted.

But she said equal importance should be placed on helping people within the justice system access addictions services and even opioid substitution therapies.

Addictions services 

The Ministry of Corrections and Policing says it provides the following services in partnership with the Saskatchewan Health Authority:

• A dedicated substance abuse treatment unit at the Regina Correctional Centre. 
• Volunteers with Alcoholics Anonymous and Narcotics Anonymous come to each of the custody facilities to host meetings.
• A standardized opioid withdrawal management policy for offenders has been developed based on community practices, and is currently being piloted at the Pine Grove Correctional Centre.
• Corrections has a policy to administer naloxone to inmates in custody who show signs of overdose.