FUNDS NEEDED TO FIND DRUGS IN REMAND CENTRE

Fatality Inquiry Report Advises Tighter Scrutiny

By Brent Wittmeier, Edmonton Journal

More funding is needed to help find illegal drugs in the Edmonton
Remand Centre, a fatality inquiry report says.

The report into the July 2010 fatality inquiry of 37-year-old Trevor
McKort was released Wednesday, detailing the cause and circumstances
of the inmate's death.

McKort was found dead in a segregation cell by a corrections officer
delivering lunch on Aug. 1, 2008. Toxicology reports revealed McKort
had .66 grams per litre of morphine in his blood, significantly more
than minimal lethal levels of .05. Depressants in his system may have
added to the toxic effect, forensic pathologist Dr. Bernard Bannach
told the inquiry.

Bannach deemed the death most likely caused by an accidental
overdose, since there were no indications McKort was suicidal.

The nine-page report also deals extensively with illegal drugs in the
remand centre.

In 2008, there were 102 incidents of drugs found. The inquiry heard
testimony that the facility is annually searched "from top to
bottom," with monthly, weekly, and random checks, as well as regular
pat-downs and strip searches when there is reason to believe an
inmate is concealing contraband.

Provincial Court Judge T. J. Matchett made five recommendations as a
result of the inquiry, including securing funding for a team to
search for drugs.

Matchett also recommends additional search dog and handler teams for
the remand centre and the province. Matchett also included
suggestions to tighten checks and procedures, including watching
inmates to ensure they take their prescriptions.

The recommendations to improve drug searches for inmates was
applauded by the union which represents the guards.

"It's always an ongoing issue in every correctional facility," Cec
Cardinal, chairman of the Alberta Union of Provincial Employees Local
3. "These are organized gang members and they are 24/7 trying to
think of new ways to get drugs into the centre."

A dedicated search team would be ideal, Cardinal said, not just for
the Remand Centre, but in increasingly crowded prisons throughout the province.

"The numbers of offenders incarcerated in our facilities is just
absolutely incredible, basically they've rolled out the warehousing
of criminals," said Cardinal. "Anytime you can have a specialty unit
that strictly focused on looking for drugs, it's probably a move in
the right direction."

Cardinal believes the new Edmonton Remand Centre, slated to open in
2012, should also have its own dog team.

The province currently has one search dog and handler team dedicated
to correctional facilities, but the province is planning to add an
additional team based in southern Alberta.

McKort was considered a "high-profile" prisoner who was placed in
segregation after several aggressive outbursts against prison staff.
He had also been involved in several drug-related incidents and
failed drug tests.

The inquiry heard that keeping drugs out of the centre was a problem
because body cavities can't be randomly searched under the law.

In May, McKort had been caught lifting tobacco, marijuana, alcohol
and lighters into his cell by tugging a string through a broken
window in his cell. A week later, he was caught passing marijuana to
another inmate.

A fatality inquiry is automatically called whenever an inmate dies.
It does not include findings of legal responsibility and the
recommendations do not have to be implemented.

"It's not binding, it is a recommendation, but obviously it's coming
from a provincial judge so the recommendations do hold a significant
amount of weight," Alberta Justice spokeswoman Julie Siddons. "I
imagine that, in this case, the Edmonton Remand Centre is going to
take them seriously."

Several other Edmonton Remand Centre inmates have died in recent
years from drug-related incidents. On Nov. 12, 2004, Christopher
Lapatak, 31, overdosed from heroin. The resulting fatality inquiry
noted that no determination was made about where he got the drugs. On
Aug. 11, 2003, Jody Umpherville, 24, died from respiratory failure
after suffering from withdrawal symptoms two days after being
admitted. On Dec. 23, 2002, Brendon Ziegler, 29, died after a torn
plastic bag lodged near his stomach leaked a massive dose of methamphetamines.