JAILS CRACK DOWN AFTER OD DEATHS

Three Inmates Have Died In Past 17 Days

The drug overdose deaths of three inmates in 17 days has forced
Corrections Canada to tighten security and launch an investigation at
Ontario prisons.

The three deaths, all in Kingston prisons, are the first as a result
of drug overdoses since 1998.

"They all seem to be unrelated," said Theresa Westfall, a spokesman
for Corrections Canada. "The common factor is determining how they got
the drugs in.

"Inside the penitentiary, we'll be increasing our surveillance,
increasing our searches," she said.

"We'll also increase our intelligence efforts to see if there's any
reason why this is happening."

Westfall said there are 15 to 45 drug seizures in federal prisons in
Ontario every month. Prisons are looking at ways of increasing their
drug monitoring, including adding drug sniffing dogs full time at the
jails.

David Nelson, 52, of Newmarket, died of a suspected overdose Tuesday
at the minimum-security Frontenac Institution. Nelson was serving a
life sentence for second-degree murder and had a long list of previous
convictions.

Gary Hilton, 40, from Burlington, died of a suspected heroin overdose
on July 6. He had been serving time for theft, robbery, assault and
mischief at Kingston Pen.

John Bolyantu, 38, of Windsor, died of a suspected morphine tablet
overdose at Joyceville Institution on June 24. He had a long record of
convictions for drugs and assault.

Inquests are expected in the deaths.

A fourth inmate died in the same period, killing himself in his
cell.

The Ontario Provincial Police's penitentiary squad is involved in the
investigation as well.