Inquest jury returns with 38 recommendations following inmate death inside Windsor jail
WARNING: Some details in this story may be upsetting to some readers as it references suicide.
A jury tasked with making recommendations following the death of a 30-year-old inmate inside Windsor's South West Detention Centre says Ontario jails should no longer consider access to phone calls to be a privilege.
That's one of 38 recommendations handed down by jurors who heard testimony during a coroner's inquest into the 2017 death of Indigenous mother-of-four Delilah Blair.
The inquest, which started June 20 and lasted nine days, included testimony from several jail staff and Blair's mother Selina McIntyre who said the first time she learned her daughter was in jail was when she received a call to report her daughter’s death.
Evidence submitted during the inquest shows Blair had made two written requests in 2017, dated May 7 and May 16, to speak with her mother on the phone. Those calls were never placed.
Blair, who was in the SWDC women's mental health unit, hanged herself in her cell on May 21, 2017. She was declared dead in hospital at 8:58 p.m., according to the jury's conclusion submitted Thursday evening.
The jury has recommended the Ministry of the Solicitor General, which oversees jails across Ontario, update policies so an inmate's ability to make a phone call is not considered a privilege.
"The SWDC shall ensure that, where a person in custody does not have a calling card and can only make collect calls, the facilitation of requests of such calls shall be treated as a priority, including taking steps to ensure that the person in custody is able make this contact," another recommendation reads.
"The SWDC shall ensure all inmate requests by people in custody are delivered to a Sergeant, who must ensure follow-up in writing within 72 hours."
For people in custody whose requests are denied or delayed for more than 72 hours, jurors added, an explanation should be provided to the inmate — and requests sitting longer than that should be forwarded to a supervisor "who shall take steps to respond."
The jury is also calling for the construction of indirect supervision units, which the SWDC uses for female inmates while male inmates are under direct supervision, to be minimized and that needs-based housing for female inmates should be considered.
During the inquest, an SWDC corrections officer testified it was "uncommon" for officers to read through paperwork such as inmate care plans or search up inmates' historical details while under the jail's care. Multiple jail staffers also testified they were unaware Blair was Indigenous.
The jury has recommended the jail, along with the provincial ministry, ensure all correctional officers are "trained on the importance of Inmate Care Plans."
Other recommendations call for an inmate's self-declaration of Indigenous status to be mentioned on that care plan — and the improvement of conditions for Indigenous people inside the province's jails.
"Indigenous people must be able to access spiritual rights as well as programs with regularity and without unreasonable delay," the first recommendation in the list of 38 reads.
"The Ministry should revise both health and NILOILO [Native Inmate Liaison Officer/Indigenous Liaison Officer] policy to recognize cultural and spiritual support as a fundamental health care right to all," another recommendation reads.
Jurors added the provincial ministry should "engage in community consultation on the development of Indigenous core programming" inside Ontario's jails — and consider increasing NILOILO staff to "meet the needs of Indigenous people in custody."
"The Ministry should ensure that Spiritual Elders, Knowledge Keepers, and Helpers are provided honoraria or financial compensation for their important work delivering cultural programming and access to their spiritual rights," jurors also recommended.
"The SWDC/Ministry shall ensure that Correctional Officers who work on ranges designated for women shall have mandatory specialized training in gender, mental health, and Indigenous realities."
Other recommendations are centred on the physical structure of the jail itself and its potential for increasing suicide risk, such as reviewing bookshelves and seeking out bedding that is less susceptible to be torn.
- With files from CTV Windsor's Michelle Maluske
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
NDP motion regarding Palestinian statehood passes after major Liberal alterations
A motion from the federal New Democrats initially calling on Canada to recognize the 'State of Palestine' passed amid widespread acrimony on Monday, after the Liberals drastically altered its wording to see the government simply work towards that aim as part of a two-state solution.
'He didn't want to die': Family of Calgary man killed in standoff speaks out
Family of a Calgary man killed after a 30-hour standoff with police last week are speaking out, sharing details of the tense and heart-wrenching experience.
Toronto family doctor who called patient's body 'perfect' suspended for 3 months: tribunal
A family doctor in Toronto has been suspended for three months after a disciplinary tribunal found that he failed to follow proper protocols while examining a patient's breasts and made inappropriate comments about her body.
Ohio mom who left toddler alone 10 days when she went on vacation pleads guilty to aggravated murder
An Ohio mother whose 16-month-old daughter died after being left home alone in a playpen for 10 days last summer while she went on vacation was sentenced Monday to life in prison with no chance of parole.
Retired teacher pleads guilty to paying for sex with 15-year-old in Collingwood, Ont.
In a Barrie courtroom on Monday, a retired high school teacher from the Niagara Region pleaded guilty to sexual touching and obtaining sexual services from a 15-year-old boy in Collingwood in 2021.
Hertz CEO out following electric car 'horror show'
The company, which announced in January it was selling 20,000 of the electric vehicles in its fleet, or about a third of the EVs it owned, is now replacing the CEO who helped build up that fleet, giving it the company’s fifth boss in just four years.
5 charged in Calgary kidnappings that targeted women
Calgary police have charged five men in a pair of kidnappings last year that targeted innocent victims.
Demand soars for solar eclipse glasses in Canada. Are they worth buying?
The demand for total solar eclipse glasses used to safely view the rare celestial event has been ramping up as sellers, along with astronomy and eye-care experts in Canada, warn that viewing the eclipse with the naked eye is dangerous.
Canadian commander of volunteer fighter group dies in Ukraine
A Canadian-born commander of the so-called Norman Brigade, a volunteer fighting group in Ukraine, has died.