A coroner’s inquest into the tragic suicide of a 27-year-old inmate has concluded with a powerful recommendation for the Ontario government to permanently shut down the Thunder Bay District Jail. This facility has long been scrutinised for its deplorable conditions, including overcrowding and a lack of basic human dignity. The findings come in the wake of the death of Kevin Mamakwa, who took his own life on June 2, 2020, marking a grim reminder of the urgent need for reform within the province’s correctional facilities.
Inquest Findings and Recommendations
The jury’s report, delivered on Thursday, confirmed that Mamakwa died by suicide and outlined a total of 22 recommendations aimed at preventing future tragedies. Among these, the most significant was the call for the decommissioning of the Thunder Bay District Jail within five years of the planned opening of a new 462-bed correctional complex, set to be operational by 2027. The jury also urged the swift transfer of inmates from the existing jail to the new facility once it is ready.
Meaghan Daniel, the legal representative for Mamakwa’s family, expressed an urgent plea during her closing remarks for the jury to advocate for the jail’s closure. “We heard from the staff inside: ‘I can’t do my job in that building,’” she stated. The pervasive sentiment among staff was that the facility is unfit for housing inmates, with some even suggesting it should be demolished. “The solution can’t be keeping people in a building that we know is unsafe,” Daniel added.
Conditions of the Jail
The Thunder Bay District Jail has been described as one of the harshest correctional facilities in Ontario. Reports from various authorities, including the Ontario Ombudsman and the Auditor-General, have highlighted its unsafe and unsanitary conditions. In 2020, it was identified as the second-most overcrowded jail in the province, housing a significant population of First Nations inmates.
Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, representing Mamakwa’s community, condemned the facility during a visit in 2020, labelling it “a hell hole that must be shut down immediately.” His observations included inmates crammed into tiny cells and deprived of adequate access to spiritual and mental health support. Such conditions were echoed by Ontario Human Rights Commissioner Renu Mandhane, who described the environment as “dehumanizing.”
The Broader Context of Inmate Care
Mamakwa was undergoing treatment for opioid addiction at the time of his death, and a note indicating his suicidal thoughts was found in his possession. He was the ninth inmate to die in the Thunder Bay District Jail since 2002. This alarming statistic underscores systemic issues within the facility, which has been plagued by overcrowding and understaffing. For instance, during a previous inquest into the death of artist Moses Beaver in 2017, it was revealed that there were only five staff members on duty when Beaver was discovered unresponsive in his cell, despite over 200 inmates being present.
The inquest into Mamakwa’s death serves as a crucial step toward accountability and reform. It reiterates the pressing need for the Ontario government to address the chronic failings of its correctional system, particularly in facilities that house vulnerable populations.
Why it Matters
The recommendations from this inquest are not merely procedural; they represent a fundamental call for justice and respect for the lives of those incarcerated. The Thunder Bay District Jail has become synonymous with neglect and mistreatment, particularly for Indigenous inmates. By advocating for its closure, the jury has highlighted the urgent necessity for systemic change within Ontario’s correctional facilities. The fate of the new complex and the future of correctional care in the province will serve as a litmus test for the government’s commitment to ensuring humane treatment of all individuals in custody.
