The inquest into Barry Fontaine has come to an end, and the five-person jury has put forward some recommendations to prevent similar deaths in the future.
The inquest was expected to take place from December 9th to the 13th but was wrapped up by December 11th in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan.
The inquest was set in place to inquire into the death of Fontaine on November 4, 2021, at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre.
The cause of death was compression of the neck, and the manner of death was deemed suicide.
The five-person jury made the following recommendations to the Ministry of Corrections and Policing and the RCMP:
1. Communication needs improvement, and there needs to be a form amended to include a comment and/or observation section from each department. The form should be in a file and transferred with the inmate from RCMP to admissions to medical and to the cell where comments/observations can be done by a correctional officer. The form would ideally become digital as well.
The recommendations to the Ministry of Corrections and Policing:
1. Windows should be uncovered at all times.
2. Smoke detectors should be assessed and changed.
3. Medical bags should have a checklist or be part of a daily shift check. Ensuring that medical bags are stocked and AEDs are visible and ready for use.