Response to death in CB jail

At Wellness Within we are saddened by the news that a man has died while imprisoned in the Cape Breton Correctional Facility in Sydney. We extend our condolences to his loved ones.

While the correctional facility has promised to conduct an internal review, there is no requirement for a public inquiry following a death in custody in Nova Scotia. The public may never know the circumstances surrounding this death. Since 2019, we have been demanding that all deaths in custody and public institutions be accompanied by a fatality review.

We are now calling on the Houston government to create an independent body to provide ongoing monitoring of conditions of confinement in Nova Scotia jails. This watchdog organization would play a role similar to the Office of the Correctional Investigator for federal institutions. This transparency is essential to ensure that the human rights of some of the most vulnerable members of our society are being upheld.

We also take this opportunity to re-iterate our support for a moratorium on the building of new prisons in this province. Communities will be made safer by investing in livable incomes, housing and mental health supports. Our tax dollars will be much better spent on these measures rather than expanding the prison system which compounds trauma and does not address the root causes of crime.

Wellness Within is a registered non-profit organization working for reproductive justice, prison abolition, and health equity in K'jipuktuk, Mi'kma'ki (Halifax, Nova Scotia).

Contact: Claire Rillie, Chair, 902-266-4851 or crillie@gmail.com and Dr. Martha Paynter, Director of Research, 9022927082 or martha.paynter@gmail.com