SYDNEY MINES, N.S. -- The father of an inmate who died at a correctional facility in Cape Breton earlier this year says it didn’t have to happen.
Ernie LeBlanc’s son, Jason, died of a drug overdose after being arrested on a parole violation.
A review by Nova Scotia's Department of Justice into his death says he showed no signs of impairment when he was booked, and that no drugs were found on his person.
The review acknowledges there were several points where jail staff did not follow proper procedures, but Ernie LeBlanc still feels that no one is taking responsibility for his son's death.
“I feel angry,” he said. “That’s my son. He was a human being. How could anybody make this kind of mistake?”
Once in his cell, video surveillance shows Jason taking drugs that had likely been hidden in a body cavity. He was later seen twice by health care staff before falling asleep in his cell. He never woke up.
"He shouldn't have died the way he died."
According to the review, corrections staff did not follow all procedures. At the time of admission, they failed to obtain the required health information transfer form, or an explanation as to why that transfer form wasn’t obtained. The review also indicated that staff failed to follow all the steps in the strip search process, and failed to complete all their rounds at standard intervals.
LeBlanc feels there was an additional, crucial failure: that his son wasn't taken to hospital after a second medical check-up, several hours after arriving at the facility. Instead, his son remained in his jail cell, where he died about eight hours later.
"The nurses did come in twice, in this instance, but we aren't privy to exactly what was written down,” said Nova Scotia Justice Minister Diana Whalen. “We do know there was no recommendation to take Mr. LeBlanc to the hospital."
The review makes several recommendations that it says could reduce the risk of similar deaths in the future, including better coordination with health care professionals.
"That's good, if they can save somebody else's life,” said LeBlanc. “But what about my son's life? What does it take? How many people does it take? To die in jail because they have an addiction."
LeBlanc says he will keep fighting for answers for his son for as long as it takes.
With files from CTV Atlantic’s Ryan MacDonald.
