Ombudsman slams lax review of federal prison deaths from natural causes

OTTAWA – The federal prison ombudsman says it often takes more than two years for the Correctional Service to complete a mandatory review when someone behind bars dies of natural causes.

A new report by Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers also raises questions about the quality and level of care provided to prisoners before they die in custody.

Sapers says he uncovered questionable diagnostic practices, incomplete records, lax information-sharing and delays or lack of follow-up on treatment recommendations.

In addition, prison staff did not investigate the circumstances of deaths beyond recording the cause as either unexpected or sudden.

Sapers says the Correctional Service’s process for reviewing in-custody deaths failed to generate significant findings, recommendations or lessons learned.

He says in some cases, there is no way of determining whether the death was preventable.

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