Advocate hopes to peel ‘back the curtain’ as 2 jail deaths in N.S. under review
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Martha Paynter, director of research for Wellness Within, a group that serves Nova Scotian women, transgender and nonbinary people who have committed crimes, said although she believes the panel’s formation is a “step in the right direction,” she has some concerns about the selection process.
“I am concerned with the RCMP and formal corrections management being on the panel,” she said, acknowledging that she also sees how their experience may be wanted by the Department of Justice.
The province said additional committee members may join the process if required, should specific subject matter call for “cultural or gender expertise.”
“I’m a little concerned that gender was suggested as something to be considered in an ad-hoc way,” Paynter added.
In May, Paytner’s volunteer-based organization called for a public inquiry into the death of a 36-year-old Mi’kmaw woman who died from pneumonia in March while being held at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth.
She says it’s “always important” that the public is provided transparency regarding the conduct taking place in all public intuitions, including prisons.
“At a bare minimum, I hope this process peels back the curtain and makes visible what so often is so profoundly invisible, about what has happened to people whose liberty we have denied,” Paytner said.
She said the experiences of people who’ve been incarcerated could also offer insight to the investigation and she would like to see some involved.
She noted that many organizations beyond Wellness Within, such as the Elizabeth Fry Society, have been pushing for investigations into the deaths of people in provincial custody for years.
“I don’t think that this was quick, but it certainly is heartening to see some improvement in accountability,” she said.
The organization continues to encourage the provincial government to conduct a fatality review for all deaths in custody and public institutions. It first called for these measures in 2019.
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