Jason Hope, warden at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary, testified on Tuesday. Photo by Chelsea Laskowski
On Tuesday, the public got an in-depth look at the mental health services offered to a Saskatchewan Penitentiary inmate before his death.
Just over three years ago in his segregation cell, indigenous man Andy Allan Brassard committed suicide at the age of 26.
A coroner’s inquest is looking into the ways his death was preventable, and solutions to make sure deaths of this nature don’t happen again.
Testimony from mental health professionals that had met with Brassard shows he was having trouble adjusting to life in the penitentiary.
The penitentiary’s current chief of psychology, Theresa Fehr, said she met and spoke with Brassard about his mental state many times while she was a psychologist at the facility.
He’d previously been on suicide watch at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre. Before that, attempted to take his own life by trying to jump out of a moving car after assaulting his commonlaw partner.
That aggravated assault in Saskatoon is what landed Brassard in the penitentiary, located just outside Prince Albert, in August of 2012.
Those previous issues prompted Fehr to first speak with Brassard upon intake into the institution. In Fehr’s testimony, she said Brassard was anxious about moving into the penitentiary, and was agitated and distressed. In Fehr’s view, this all revolved around the possibility of being alone – Brassard wanted to be around other inmates.
A month later, Fehr had another meeting with Brassard. He had said he was hearing voices, and she referred him to the psychiatrist. Later in September, Fehr did another interview with Brassard. She said “young guys often feel a lot of anxiety when they first come in,” but by that time he seemed to be on his way to adjusting to life in the penitentiary. At that time, Brassard made it clear he had no suicidal thoughts, Fehr said. That was the last time she saw him.
Fehr also testified that the penitentiary has fostered a culture of openness about mental health over that past five or six years, saying “great effort is taken to remove the shame and embarrassment about that sort of thing.”
Fehr and mental health nurse Brenda Piper said Brassard requested to be transferred to the Regional Psychiatric Centre, but the penitentiary psychiatrist determined he wasn’t a candidate.
The inquest heard that Brassard had issues continuing on the medication he’d been taking before going into custody.
As the last witness, the warden at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary had the last word at the inquest. Warden Jason Hope spoke about a review that Correctional Services Canada undertook after Brassard’s death.
Brassard had been held in segregation for most of his four months at the penitentiary, due to altercations he’d had while in general population.
Hope said since Brassard’s death, the penitentiary has changed its segregation policy. Now, a psychologist must be involved in all related reports.
All witnesses have now been called
On Wednesday, the jury, comprised of six members of the public, will decide on any recommendations to come out of this inquest. Three of the jurors are aboriginal, which reflects Brassard’s aboriginal heritage. Their ideas will suggest ways Brassard’s death could have been prevented, and future institutional actions that can prevent deaths like his.
Brassard’s commonlaw partner was present at Tuesday’s proceedings. She told MBC News she is here because three years after his death, she still has questions left. The couple had a child together.