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
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
U.S. says Israel's use of U.S. arms likely violated international law, but evidence is incomplete
The Biden administration said Israel's use of U.S.-provided weapons in Gaza likely violated international humanitarian law but wartime conditions prevented U.S. officials from determining that for certain in specific airstrikes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Mother assaulted by stranger while breastfeeding baby in her car: Vancouver police
A person was arrested in East Vancouver Thursday after allegedly entering a car while a mother was breastfeeding her four-month-old boy.
'We have laws': Premier Smith says police action justified in Calgary
The actions, including the decision to use non-lethal force, to disperse pro-Palestinian protesters from the University of Calgary campus were justified, Alberta Premier Danielle Smith said Friday.
'State or state-sponsored actor' believed to be behind B.C. government hacks
The head of British Columbia’s civil service has revealed that a “state or state-sponsored actor” is behind multiple cyber-security incidents against provincial government networks.