Terry Kruger
Northern News Services

Hay River (Mar 20/00) - Changes recommended for NWT prisons by a coroner's jury are expected to take six to eight months to implement.

The jury at a coroner's inquest into the Aug. 12, 1999, death of Daniel Troy Harrington, 36, of Fort Smith, at South Mackenzie Correctional Centre ruled the incident a suicide and issued 32 recommendations. The inquest was held March 7-9 in Hay River.

Harrington was in SMCC's remand centre awaiting sentencing on a charge of attempted murder when fellow inmates found him hanging from a bed sheet attached to the top bunk in his cell. Although many prisoners have attempted suicide, this is the only time anyone had succeeded in killing themselves while in an NWT department of corrections prison.

Inmates who found Harrington tried to alert prison staff by kicking on a door to the common area of the remand section and waving at a video camera, but eventually had to use a pay phone to call prison officials.

Harrington was addicted to Valium and his daily dosage had been reduced just prior to committing suicide.

"The main focus of the inquest dealt with issues of drug addiction and drug addiction treatment, policies and practices concerning inmate observation and interaction, emergency protocols and preparedness and facility documentation, both medical and operational," wrote NWT coroner Percy Kinney in his report from the inquest.

The jury's recommendations ranged from a call for the remand area to be staffed 24 hours a day, to installation of an intercom system and ensuring a patient's medical records are complete.

Kinney said that while the recommendations are not binding, he will follow up to ensure they have been properly dealt with.

"We request that they respond to us with any implementation or any other things they do," said Kinney last week.

John Dillon, director of corrections, said the department is taking the jury recommendations very seriously.

Even before the inquest, a panic button was installed in the remand area. After the inquest, corrections made sure SMCC's remand unit is staffed 24 hours a day.

The other recommendations will be reviewed by two committees, said Dillon.

One committee at SMCC will review recommendations aimed at facilities while a second committee will examine medical issues.

Those committees will report to Dillon and other corrections managers and wardens who will review their submissions.

Then, steps will be taken to implement changes and address the recommendations.

"All will be carried through within the next six to eight months," said Dillon.

He said corrections will have to deal with the issue of how to pay for the renovations that may be necessary, from installing an intercom to enlarging a window in SMCC's remand area.

"We will have to simply absorb it. There is no new money."

Medical issues could be more tricky to address, he said, noting legislation governing confidentiality could pose difficulties.

Dillon praised the staff at SMCC as a "very capable group of guys" and noted that "each of the staff, with the exception of the nurse, had one or more suicide intervention courses under their belt."