Inquest recommends Nunavut facility for federal offenders
Kerry McCluskey and Kevin Wilson
Northern News Services
Iqaluit (Apr 16/01) - In the weeks following a coroner's inquest that ruled a Cape Dorset man's death was suicide, Nunavut corrections officials say progress is being made to open up the existing halfway house to include federal offenders.
Ron McCormick, the director of corrections and community justice for the Government of Nunavut, said last week they were in discussions with Correctional Service Canada to expand the Uttaqivik Centre to include federal offenders.
"We have been negotiating with Correctional Service Canada about their use of beds in that facility. There are a couple of minor structural changes that need to be made and then we could have beds for federal (offenders)," he said.
Structural changes include increasing the number of beds from 10 to 12 and implementing a sprinkler system. McCormick said it also involved developing programs specific to the needs of federal offenders.
Pauloosie Nuyalia, the assistant director of corrections, said the purpose of the halfway house -- for territorial offenders -- is to get inmates accustomed to being part of non-custodial society once again.
"What we try to do is look at ones that are close to their release date so that we can reintegrate them into the community," said Nuyalia.
When the centre opens up to federal prisoners, it will serve the same purpose and will provide Nunavummiut with a more culturally appropriate resource closer to home.
That officials look into expanding the halfway house to accommodate federal offenders was one of the five recommendations resulting from the inquest into the death of 24-year-old Ohituq Petaulassie.
Petaulassie hanged himself at the Yellowknife Salvation Army residential facility last July. He had been at that halfway house after being released from a southern jail. Inmates from Nunavut are generally sent to halfway houses in Yellowknife, or down south.
The inquest heard that Petaulassie had attempted suicide at least three times in the past. However, a physician and a psychologist testified that it was not possible to tell whether Petaulassie would attempt suicide again.
On July 25, 2000, he was found by a roommate hanging from the shower rod in the bathroom of his apartment unit. He hung himself with a bedsheet.
The six-person jury, composed of five men and one woman, were unanimous in their finding of suicide. They made five recommendations to prevent future deaths.
Two of the recommendations were directed at Correctional Service Canada. The first recommendation was for CSC to complete suicide risk assessments on federal offenders on statutory release prior to their being sent to halfway houses. The second was for CSC to establish a community residential facility in Nunavut.
Three other recommendations involved training of Salvation Army staff working at the community residential facility where Petaulassie committed suicide.
As of February, all corrections staff employed by the Salvation Army had received training in suicide intervention.
