Pine Grove Correctional Centre houses female prisoners that have been sentenced and those waiting on remand. (file photo)

By Susan McNeil

Elaine Behm death

Pine Grove is overcrowded and understaffed: nurses testify at inquest

May 9, 2023 | 2:00 PM

Editor’s Note: This story contains graphic details involving suicide.

At times, there is one nurse on duty at Pine Grove Women’s Correctional Centre and that nurse can be responsible for 230 inmates, a coroner’s inquest in Prince Albert was told today.

Today is the second day of the inquest into Elaine Behm’s death, who hanged herself from the vent in her cell in 2020. She was on remand and charged with killing her husband Darren about five weeks before her own death.

Elaine Behm suffered from paranoia and thought prison staff were poisoning her food. She died in her cell in Pine Grove in 2020. (submitted photo/McCaw Funeral Service website)

The inquest heard from two more of the nurses who were at Pine Grove at the time with both echoing a previous statement that the facility is drastically understaffed when it comes to nursing.

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“I would say the workload is pretty heavy,” said the first psychiatric nurse who worked there for one year before moving to the Saskatoon Correctional Centre as it is closer to family support.

In the one year of her employment, the already-heavy workload increased, and she agreed that Pine Grove is overcrowded and understaffed. The inmate population should be capped at 166 but she said it was as high as 236 inmates.

Another nurse also testified that the shortage is a real issue.

“I’ve been there when I was the only nurse on shift, so I was nurse for 230 inmates,” she said.

Except for one nurse who testified today, none of the staff were aware that Behm had attempted suicide in the days before her incarceration.

Behm had asked for lab work and to be tested for sexually transmitted infections, something that the coroner’s counsel, Robin Ritter, suggested might have been because she was suffering from paranoia. The tests were all negative.

One staff member was aware that Behm was under a judicial order to be transferred to the Saskatchewan Hospital in North Battleford for a psychiatric evaluation, but others were not.

When working with a client, the nurses can have access to the digital inmate records but rely more on their charts and how the person appears at the time.

As Ritter delved more into how high the need is for psychiatric assistance, he asked the first nurse how many inmates were suffering from mental health issues and got the reply “probably all of them” which limits how much the nurse can focus on any single patient.

He also asked why there is such a shortage.

“I would say it has to do with the amount of seats that are available at the psychiatric program in Saskatchewan,” the nurse replied.

She had been on duty as the only psychiatric nurse available but working with registered nurses, and responsible for the entire inmate population but said nurses use their own judgment when assessing clients.

“We also have to go by what we see in front of us. Everyone would all have suicide restrictions if all records were fully reviewed,” she said. “Everyone would be flagged.”

She treated according to the inmate request and was limited to that because of the volume of other inmates that needed to be seen.

When asked, the RN that testified that she would like more information when she sees clients.

“I would love to see counsellors that are dedicated to Pine Grove,” she said.

Currently, inmates are scheduled as needed to see counsellors at Prince Albert Mental Health but that can be difficult.

“I would like to see inmates get transferred to North Battleford in a more timely manner,” she said, and added that judges can remand people directly to the hospital there and don’t need to funnel them through Pine Grove.

So far, the inquest has also heard that of what should be nine full-time nurses, there are only three or possibly four working, that there are no dedicated staff counsellors and that there is one addictions counsellor.

The forensic pathologist that examined the body of Elaine Behm following her death at Pine Grove in 2020 said she died as a result of asphyxiation due to hanging.

Behm also had some broken ribs but that was most likely caused be efforts by staff to resuscitate her.

When chest compressions are done, about 80 per cent of the time they result in broken ribs in the patient, Latham said.

The inquest will hear from five more witnesses Tuesday afternoon and one tomorrow morning before the jury is given instruction and sent to determine what recommendations they may want to make.

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If you or someone you know is in immediate danger of self-harm or experiencing suicidal thoughts, please contact:

Canada Suicide Prevention Service (1-833-456-4566), Saskatoon Crisis Intervention Service (306-933-6200), Prince Albert Mobile Crisis Unit (306-764-1011), Regina Mobile Crisis Services (306-525-5333) or the Hope for Wellness Help Line, which provides culturally competent crisis intervention counselling support for Indigenous peoples at (1-855-242-3310).

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com