Fraser Valley ( with files from Corrections Canada, Canadian Press) – The union representing prison officers says its members are concerned about the safety of staff and inmates over a needle exchange program proposed by the Correctional Service.
It says this comes after an inmate at the medium-security Mountain Institution in Agassiz, died Tuesday from what is believed to be a fentanyl overdose.
On October 24, 2023, Kelly Michael Richet, an inmate from Mountain Institution, died in custody.
At the time of death, the inmate had been serving a sentence of 5 years, 1 month and 21 days for Manslaughter since March 23, 2023.
The inmate’s next of kin have been notified.
The union says the Correctional Service of Canada announced last month that a prison needle exchange program would be implemented at the medium-security prison.
John Randle, the regional president for the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, says providing access to needles for inmates to inject their illegal drugs alone in their cells does nothing to curb or treat addictions, and the union is instead advocating for overdose prevention sites in prisons.
On October 24, 2023, a lockdown was put in place at Mountain Institution, a medium security federal institution, to enable staff members to conduct an exceptional search.
The search was ordered to ensure the safety and security of the institution, its staff, and inmates.
Visits have been suspended until the search is completed. Normal operations will resume as soon as it is considered safe to do so.
