The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services has confirmed another inmate at the Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) has died.
The unidentified inmate was found unresponsive in his cell before 7:30am on Thursday. London police and paramedics were called to the jail on Exeter Rd. The inmate was pronounced dead shortly after.
No details about the cause of death have been released, but the ministry has indicated, as is standard with sudden deaths at corrections facilities across the province, that the provincial coroner’s office is investigating.
"It would be inappropriate for the ministry to comment further as investigations are underway," said ministry spokesperson Andrew Morrison in an emailed statement.
He went on to outline the number of investigations that will be undertaken to examine the circumstances surrounding the death.
"The Office of the Chief Coroner conducts a death investigation to determine the cause and manner of death. The ministry conducts an internal investigation to determine whether all ministry policies and procedures were followed with respect to the care and custody of the deceased. The local police conduct an investigation to determine if the death was due to any criminal activity. If the coroner’s investigation determines that a death was not due to natural causes, a mandatory inquest would be called to examine the circumstances."
This is the third death at the EMDC within the past three months. It is believed drugs played a role in all three deaths.
Raymond George Major, 52, died in hospital on June 6, one day after attempting suicide in his cell. Mike Fall, 47, was found dead in his cell July 30. Ministry officials have not commented on whether his death was related to an existing heart condition or illicit drug use.
The provincial jail has been thrust into the spotlight repeatedly over the past several years as it has dealt with overcrowding, inadequate staffing levels, and other inmate deaths.
A full-body scanner that would help stop the flow of contraband, such as the deadly opioid fentanyl, from being smuggled into the main jail isn't expected to be installed until later this year.
The latest death at the EMDC has prompted a London area MPP to call on the Liberal government to expedite the delivery of the scanner.
“The EMDC is in a full blown crisis situation that if not addressed immediately could reach a tipping point," said Jeff Yurek, Elgin-Middlesex-London MPP. “The Wynne government needs to make immediate arrangements and get a body scanner into the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre and naloxone into the hands of its correctional officers, before another life is needlessly lost.”
Naloxone is an opioid antagonist that counteracts the effects of fentanyl. Currently, correctional officers do not carry the lifesaving drug.