Family hopes for changes to jail system, starting with mental health

The sister of a 33-year-old man who died of suicide while on remand at the Saskatoon provincial jail says her family believes change is needed within the correctional system.

Earlier this week, an inquest jury made 11 recommendations to the Ministry of Corrections, Policing and Public Safety after concluding that Randall Nicotine died of suicide by hanging between 12:30 a.m. and 1:30 a.m. on May 14, 2019.

Jurors, who heard he was found unresponsive in his cell during an hourly cell check just over a month after his second suicide watch during his stay in remand, called on the ministry to implement changes including having an on-site nurse at all times, daily access to counsellors, and psychiatrist visits to the institution three times a week for four hours each day.

In a written statement, Nicotine's sister, Ashley Nicotine, said her family wants change within the correctional system so others don't have to go through the same agony.

“Change needs to happen, and it starts with getting the proper mental health care for those that are incarcerated,” she said. “They are human beings and deserve to get the proper help. I know a lot of them have been through trauma, and services for that would go a long way.”

Jurors heard testimony from 10 witnesses, including from a community-based psychiatrist who holds weekly clinics at the jail who said Nicotine denied having suicidal thoughts, depression or anxiety when he met him the day after Nicotine was put on the second suicide watch. He was cleared to be taken off the watch.

An investigation after his death found that he shared suicidal thoughts in a recorded phone call with a woman identified as a “fiancée” and told her not to inform the jail. Other recommendations from the jury included having screening for suicidality conducted by medical professionals and that any inmate released from a suicide watch have mandatory visits with a psychiatrist.

In a prepared statement, the ministry said it will review the recommendations and provide a response to the coroner's office that will also be publicly available.

Nicotine's sister attended the inquest and had standing to question witnesses. She said she was grateful for support provided to her family.

“My brother was a good person. I wish the outcome was different and we had more time with him,” she said.