P.E.I.'s 1st ombudsperson report leads to changes in drug treatment at jail

One inmate at the Provincial Correctional Centre in Charlottetown resorted to obtaining drugs illicitly because they could not get methadone or other forms of opioid replacement therapy while incarcerated.

Another complained of suffering cravings and withdrawal because of not being given opioid replacement therapy, or ORT, until the end of their sentence. 

The third complainant saw distress experienced by another inmate due to the withholding of ORT and expressed concerns for that inmate's physical well-being.

As the OmbudsPEI office investigated, others came forward, leading to the first official report from ombudsperson Sandy Hermiston.

"We received in total about 10 complaints, and there's more out there than that, but we sort of stopped taking complaints at 10 because we knew that it was more than a problem for one or two people," Hermiston said.

The report, released this month, has prompted the Department of Justice and Public Safety to change its policy on how people with drug addictions are treated while in the provincial jail in the Milton Station area.

"The policy has been developed and staff training is ongoing with the goal of ensuring the same level of care for individuals experiencing addictions as those in the community," the department said in an email statement to CBC News.

"Corrections staff continue to work with mental health and addictions [staff] and physicians to offer eligible inmates safe and timely access to community level programs and services in correctional facilities."

During its investigation, OmbudsPEI spoke with inmates, medical staff and jail managers.

Help not offered to some inmates

They found that people with opioid addictions were offered methadone and other treatments only if they were already on it before arriving at the Provincial Correctional Centre.

People who weren't on methadone already had to wait until just weeks before their sentence was over.

Instead, they were given treatment for withdrawal symptoms and nothing else.

"That was a concern for us because our understanding was withdrawal management is not the best way to treat opioid addiction," Hermiston said.

The report says P.E.I.'s policy was inconsistent with what happens in federal prisons and provincial jails in other provinces.

It also noted that the Department of Justice and Public Safety acknowledged the inequity, co-operated fully, and agreed it was time for change.

Nurse practitioner at jail

Proper assessment by medical staff in the correctional centre was a key factor, Hermiston said..

"There's a new nurse practitioner in the jail who is able to provide medications and there are also some doctors who consult there. Ultimately, [these are] the people who would decide what an inmate might be eligible for or what might be appropriate for that inmate."

For years, P.E.I. was the only province without an official ombudsperson to handle complaints citizens had about government decisions and policies.

OmbudsPEI began operation in February 2022. More reports are in the works, Hermiston said.

"I really hope that it allows the community to understand that it's OK to raise a complaint, and for public sector entities to understand that complaints are not bad. They provide opportunities for improvement and there are ways to solve problems that are beneficial for everyone."