Grief support offered after inmate's death

Inmates and staff close to a Saskatchewan Penitentiary inmate whose death has been linked to COVID-19 will be offered ongoing support in the days ahead, according to a prison official.

The inmate, who was in his 50s, died at an outside hospital of what the Correctional Service of Canada described in a media release on Saturday as “an apparent result of complications related to COVID-19.”

On the evening the inmate died, the critical incident stress management team provided support to staff on duty and the institution's cultural centre staff offered a smudge, prayer, and support to inmates who lived on the same range as the man who died, deputy warden Lee Anne Skene said on Monday.

“Loss and grief can take some time to overcome,” she said.

The unidentified man's death is the first attributed to COVID-19 to be recorded at a federal correctional facility in Saskatchewan and the fourth within a Csc-operated institution in Canada.

The inmate's death is being investigated by the Saskatchewan Coroners Service, which will determine whether an inquest is conducted, the coroners service said.

As of Sunday, Saskatchewan Penitentiary had the highest reported number of active COVID-19 cases in federal institutions with 33, according to information the CSC posted online.

Since the first case was detected on Dec. 12, 244 inmates have tested positive. An outbreak was declared at the institution that day.

Inmates are being allowed out on ranges in small groups instead of one at a time, which allows them to be out of their cells for longer periods. Skene said the largest group has been four. Inmates' access to the library remains suspended.

Advocate Sherri Maier with Beyond Prison Walls Canada said she is hearing about inmates' concerns for each other's mental health after nearly a month of spending more time in lockup.