Over two years ago, the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples called for the inquest into the death of Curtis McKenzie. (Facebook/ Curtis McKenzie)

By Nigel Maxwell

Corrections

Coroner’s jury to examine circumstances surrounding Sask. Penitentiary inmate’s death

Oct 3, 2022 | 10:10 AM

A man found unresponsive in his prison cell, and pronounced deceased in hospital two weeks later, will be the subject of a special hearing later this month in Prince Albert.

The public inquest into the death of Curtis McKenzie will be held Oct. 31 to Nov. 4, at the Coronet Hotel in Prince Albert.

McKenzie, 27, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert on Feb. 26, 2020. Medical personnel responded and transported him to the Victoria Hospital in Prince Albert. McKenzie was pronounced deceased March 9, 2020.

Section 20 of The Coroners Act states the chief coroner shall hold an inquest into the death of a person who dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.

McKenzie’s issues with addictions remained “unaddressed” according to the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples. (Facebook/Curtis McKenzie)

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The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths. The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.

Coroner Tim Hawryluk will preside at the inquest.

At the time of his death, McKenzie was serving a federal sentence of two years and one day for breach of recognizance and break and enter convictions.

Neither the RCMP nor the Correctional Service of Canada have revealed the cause of death, but in a prior interview with the Congress of Aboriginal Peoples (CAP), Vice-Chief Kim Beaudin, who was also McKenzie’s outreach worker, told paNOW the cause of death was suicide.

“My understanding is he was crying out for help and it just wasn’t there,” Beaudin said.

Beaudin said an inquest will help get to the bottom of McKenzie’s death, and was most interested in finding out why someone with a previous history of self-harm wasn’t watched more closely.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell