Family questions death of prisoner held in isolation in Victoria

VICTORIA The death of a newly admitted prisoner at Vancouver Island Regional Correctional Centre has devastated his family and friends, and left them searching for answers.

David Gordon Ivany, 26, died alone from an apparent illicit-drug overdose in his jail cell on June 21.

The B.C. Coroners Service is investigating how Ivany died. B.C. Corrections will also review the circumstances.

Ivany was arrested by West Shore RCMP on June 18 and charged with flight from police and breaching his probation. He was transferred to the jail in Victoria the next day and was scheduled to appear in Western Communities provincial court on June 23.

If Ivany’s death is confirmed to be from an overdose, it raises the question of how he either brought drugs into the jail or got them there, especially when he was placed in isolation under new protocols put in place to keep COVID-19 out of correctional centres.

It also raises the question of how often he was checked while being held alone in the induction unit, separate from the rest of the jail.

Police went to Joanna Ivany’s door late at night to notify her that her brother had died in jail from a drug overdose. “My question to the cops was how could it be a drug overdose if he was in your care for 24 hours before he died,” said Joanna, who went to the jail the next day to collect his body.

“Everyone just wants answers. If he was taken care of properly, none of this would have happened. It could have been prevented if they did their job and just didn’t look at him as another First Nations person in this place.”

Friend Rob Iverson said Ivany’s death doesn’t make any sense because he didn’t use hard drugs.

Ivany liked marijuana but didn’t do heroin or fentanyl, said Iverson.

“No one said anything about a package exploding in him or anything like that. And David doesn’t do that. He’s not into this kind of thing. So how did he come across the drugs? Was he around other people? Could anyone have done this to him?” asked Iverson.

B.C. Corrections said it maintains zero-tolerance for illegal drugs within correctional centres and has stringent security measures to deal with contraband, including drugs. During the first 24 hours of admission, all individuals receive a physical and mental health assessment. Trained staff provide addictions support and counselling.