Inmate deaths trending upward, B.C. Coroners Service says

This story includes mentions of suicide.

Inmate deaths in the province have been increasing, according to the B.C. Coroners Service.

The agency says the deaths of 188 people in provincial and federal correctional facilities were reported between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2023.

It says that while the annual average during that time period was 17 deaths, 25 inmates died in 2023. By comparison, 11 inmate deaths were reported in 2013.

The coroners service says 60 per cent of deaths during the 10-year time frame were classified as natural, 18 per cent as accidental and 15 per cent as suicides.

The agency notes that its data is preliminary and excludes deaths at halfway houses, in police custody and at the Forensic Psychiatric Hospital.

It says 60 per cent of the deaths occurred at federal facilities, with the Pacific Institution in Abbotsford, B.C., recording the most by far, at 64 deaths, followed by the Mission Institution with 15.

Among provincial facilities, it says the North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam saw the highest total with 23 deaths, while the Surrey Pretrial Services Centre had 20.

The coroners service says about 72 per cent of the 188 people who died were aged 30-69, and all but three of them were male.

'Heartbreaking' suicide rate

Jennifer Metcalfe, the executive director of Prisoners' Legal Services, called these figures "alarming."

For her, they are an indication that inmates — many of whom are already marginalized people with high physical and mental care needs — are receiving inadequate healthcare.

Metcalfe also noted the general issue of suicide deaths in prisons as a big concern, because they happen at disproportionate rates compared to the general population.

According to her, they reflect "a lack of movement" on the use of lockdowns similar to solitary confinement in prisons — which could amount to torture under the United Nations' definition, depending on the length of isolation —  and a lack of mental health care to support those who have gone through them.

"It's heartbreaking, but not surprising, that the rates of suicide are so high," she said.

To help prevent deaths, Metcalfe called for health-care services in prisons to be provided independently through health agencies.

And pointing to Canada's colonial history and its long-lasting damage, she also advocated for the collection of more race-based data and a redistribution of funds from correctional services to Indigenous communities.

Accredited health care in institutions

In a written statement to CBC News, Correctional Service Canada (CSC) said it takes the issue of inmate deaths "very seriously."

CSC outlined its care capacity in the statement and noted that its health services are assessed by Accreditation Canada, a national non-profit that accredits other health-care providers like the Provincial Health Services Authority (PHSA). In B.C., PHSA  assumed responsibility for health-care services in provincial correctional centres in 2017.

The CSC also said it's investing in and working with local organizations to support Indigenous people in prison and during their reintegration.

B.C. Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth said in a statement that the health and safety of people in the custody of B.C. Corrections is his ministry's "top priority."

"We recognize the deep impacts each of these deaths have on their family, friends and the individuals who respond with life-saving efforts and every effort will continue to be made to learn from and help prevent these tragedies from occurring," he said.