Inmate who died in penitentiary remembered by sister
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An inmate who died suddenly while in custody at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary had a big heart but struggled with addictions and mental health issues, according to his sister.
Curtis Robert Cozart, 30, of Moose Jaw, was pronounced dead in hospital at roughly 11 p.m. Wednesday after paramedics were called to the penitentiary. At the time of his death, Cozart had served seven months of a 30-month federal sentence for assault and theft charges. His cause of death will be determined by the coroner, but Correctional Service Canada (CEC) said it does not suspect foul play.
Rhonda said her brother Curtis had struggled with life inside the penitentiary. He was involved in at least one violent altercation, she said, and underwent a formal mental assessment prior to his sentencing. She believed his mental health was not properly treated by CEC staff.
“I think he had enough within and around himself that he needed a way out,” Rhonda told paNOW. “He shouldn’t have been in jail…They should have kept him in the hospital.”
