Prisoner advocacy group calls on Nova Scotia to launch independent review of jails
A prisoner rights group says the Nova Scotia government must pass a law requiring independent monitoring of the province's jails.
In a report released today, the East Coast Prison Justice Society says provincial inmates complain of issues such as prolonged lockdowns and poor access to health care.
The group's annual report is a compilation of comments gathered from nearly 800 phone calls with inmates in the jail system from Sept. 1, 2022, to Aug. 31, 2023. Its findings also come after six people died while in provincial custody since January 2023.
"Nova Scotia's provincial government should no longer be permitted to enjoy executive discretion on whether to hold a public inquiry when a death in custody occurs," the report reads.
The report criticizes the province's approach to reviewing jail deaths by "committees that meet in secret, lack robust powers of truth-finding, and are not obliged to share factual conclusions with the public."
It said Nova Scotia should join the Canadian provinces that order public reviews of deaths in custody.
Among the complaints from inmates are the frequent use of lockdowns and solitary confinement; difficulty having health-care requests granted; loss of personal items during cell searches, and "excessive force" sometimes used during strip searches; poor access to cultural and spiritual support programs, particularly for African and Indigenous Nova Scotians; and unhygienic conditions in jails.
The group issued 42 recommendations, including one that asks the province to launch an independent review to identify necessary changes to the jail system, such as how it approaches health care.
N.S. Justice Minister Barbara Adams told reporters on Tuesday the province is open to an independent review of its jails, but offered no details.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 17, 2024.
For more Nova Scotia news, visit our dedicated provincial page.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Federal government to further limit number of international students
The federal government will be further limiting the number of international students permitted to enter Canada next year. It's the government's latest immigration-related measure to address Canadians' ongoing housing and affordability concerns.
Search for suspect in Kentucky highway shooting ends with discovery of body believed to be his
Authorities say they believe the body of a man suspected of shooting and wounding five people on a Kentucky interstate highway has been found.
Here's why you should get all your vaccines as soon as possible
With all these shots, some Canadians may have questions about the benefit of each vaccine, whether they should get every shot and how often to get them, and if it's safe to get them all at once or if they should space them out.
Bloc MPs will vote confidence in Liberal government next week: Blanchet
The Conservatives' first shot at toppling the Liberal government is likely doomed to fail, after Bloc Quebecois Leader Yves-François Blanchet told reporters his MPs will vote confidence in the government.
'I'm here for the Porsche': Video shows brazen car theft in Mississauga
Video of a brazen daylight auto theft which shows a suspect running over a victim in a stolen luxury SUV has been released by police west of Toronto.
Exploding electronic devices kill 20, wound 450 in second day of explosions in Lebanon
Lebanon's health ministry said Wednesday that at least 20 people were killed and 450 others wounded by exploding electronic devices in multiple regions of the country. The explosions came a day after an apparent Israeli attack targeting pagers used by Hezbollah killed at least 12 and wounded nearly 3,000.
'It starts off innocent': Manitoba man loses $185,000 to crypto-romance scam
A Manitoba man is warning others after he fell victim to an elaborate online scam over the summer.
Teen faces new charge in Sask. high school arson attack
A 14-year-old student who allegedly set her classmate on fire is facing a new charge.
Quebec woman charged with first-degree murder in death of five-year-old boy
A 29-year-old Quebec woman is facing a first-degree murder charge in the death of a five-year-old boy southwest of Montreal.