Overdoses in Ontario Jails – CHCH

Families of inmates who have died of overdoses at the Niagara Detention Centre are calling for change. Protesters say drugs need to be prevented from coming inside and more needs to be done to help those behind bars.

Angela Case says her 22 year old son Jordan was a good kid, that was going through a bad time. Case says her son was facing theft charges. He had only been at the Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold for 2 months, and was waiting to be transferred to another facility due to over crowding, when she says he died of a fentanyl overdose in December.

Protesters have similar stories. Heidi Nagy lost her 32 year old son Dave Cowe. Nagy says her son was in medical distress when he was arrested, two days later at the Niagara Detention Centre, he was found dead in his cell. Some of the families protesting in Thorold have lost loved ones at the Barton Street Jail in Hamilton, where there have been more than a dozen drug overdose deaths at the jail in the past 6 years.

There was an inquest last May. Sixty-two recommendations were made to prevent other drug overdose deaths at the Barton Jail but the ministry still has another month and a half to respond. The recommendations are not binding. For these families, something needs to be done now. Both Jordan Case and Dave Cowe were being detained, innocent until proven guilty.

Case saying her 22 year old son instead received a life sentence.

We have not yet received a comment about today’s protest in Thorold from the Ministry of the Solicitor General that oversees correctional services in the province.