Overdose death of PG man in Agassiz prison raises worries about a prison needle exchange program
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AGASSIZ— On October 24, 2023 Kelly Michael Richet, died of a fentanyl overdose while in custody at the Mountain Institution in Agassiz. The Union of Canadian Correctional Officers is concerned that the situation will worsen if Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) goes ahead with it’s Prison Needle Exchange Program.
In a press release, John Randle, Regional President of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers states, “Providing access to needles for inmates to inject their illegal drugs alone in their cells does nothing to curb and treat addiction issues. It is dangerous for both inmates and staff. Two officers were exposed to fentanyl this week, with health consequences which could have been deadly without first aid.”
Randle continues by saying that if Federal Correctional Service is serious about improving the lives of inmates they need to set up and Overdose Prevention Site, allowing for inmates to have clean supplies, and to be supervised by health care professionals with a pathway to recovery.
“Federal Institutions are supposed to be the place for rehabilitation of inmates before releasing them into our communities,” says John Randle. “But with the Prison Needle Exchange Program, Correctional Service of Canada is giving up on its mandate of releasing inmates in the community as law-abiding citizens and is instead just warehousing inmates and letting communities deal with the addiction issues later.”
