DRUG OD SUSPECTED IN FRCC INMATE DEATH

The B.C. Coroner's Service and the RCMP are investigating the death of
a 20-year-old inmate who was found dead in his cell at the Fraser
Regional Correctional Centre on March 14.

"It's likely it was a drug overdose based on the information I've
received," said Dean Purdy, chair of the corrections and sheriffs
branch of the B.C. Government Employee's Union.

Vince Stancato, regional coroner, said the investigation is in its
preliminary stages. He expected an autopsy would be completed early
this week, but said the toxicological report could take weeks. The
coroner's service hasn't released the name of the deceased inmate yet.

Lisa Lapointe, spokesperson for B.C. Corrections, said she couldn't
reveal any details about the death because it is now under a coroner's
investigation.

Street drugs and contraband are "ongoing problems" at jails throughout
B.C., said Purdy.

"It's become a real problem because of staffing shortages. A lot of
jails haven't been able to conduct searches on a regular basis," said
Purdy.

Purdy said every kind of drug "you can imagine" is ending up within
jails. Often drugs are brought in by inmates who conceal them in body
cavities, he said.

"I think (BC Corrections) knows there's a problem but it's difficult
to deal with it when the prisons are becoming more and more
overcrowded," he said.

Lapointe said BC Corrections will be conducting a review of the death
"to look at all the circumstances of the death and establish what
happened and what we can do, if there are any changes we can make."

Lapointe acknowledged that drugs are an issue within provincial
prisons.

"Many inmates are there because of their substance abuse issues. We
have many strategies to try and keep drugs out," she said.

All visitors are searched before they're allowed to enter the prison
and there are regular patrols outside prison walls, as well as
searches of cells and prisoners.

"Anytime information is received there may be drugs in a particular
unit a search will be conducted in that unit," she said. "There's
intelligence gathering in the correctional facilities as well."

Purdy said drugs in prisons create added safety concerns for
correctional officers.

"Obviously from our standpoint it's a very dangerous situation when
you have needles and the potential for staff to get poked by a
needle," he said.