Correctional Service of Canada releases findings into death of Robert Pickton

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) released Friday the results of an investigation into the death of Canadian serial killer Robert Pickton in 2024.

The government agency suggested plans to reduce the accessibility to items that could be used as weapons, providing tools for correctional officers to properly assess inmate’s progress, and to review and possibly change current practices of sharing information to an inmate’s next of kin.

What happened at the Port-Cartier Institution

On May 19, 2024, at the Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec, Pickton was a 74-year-old man serving a life sentence since 2007, for six counts of second-degree murder.

20 additional counts of first-degree murder led to a stay of proceedings in 2010.

Pickton had been incarcerated at the institution since 2018, at a maximum security level.

At around 5:16 p.m., when medication was being distributed in the unit, Pickton was assaulted by another inmate.

Correctional officers were able to quickly intervene and convince the inmate to stop the assault.

A few minutes later, the inmate then grabbed a broomstick, broke the handle and stabbed Pickton in the face.

Officers were able to handcuff and escort the inmate, and transport Pickton to a local hospital by 5:57 p.m.

Pickton was transported to a hospital in Québec City the next day where he was admitted to intensive care.

He was pronounced dead on May 31, 2024.

A Board of Investigation looks into how the attack happened

The CSC is required by law to investigate incidents where an inmate under their care and custody dies, or suffers serious bodily injury.

A Board of Investigation was created to look into: the existence of pre-incident risk factors, staff presence in the area, the staff’s response to the assault, and the process through which Pickton’s next of kin was notified.

The board learned that inmates had free access to cleaning items, and there were no functional locking cabinets that could be used to store the mops or brooms (the weapon used in the assault) on the range. They say there was no inventory of these items at the time of the attack.

After reviewing casework records for the two inmates involved, the board said their structured 45-day casework records weren’t in compliance with policy.

The board also learned that the incorrect person was contacted following Pickton’s death, and not his next of kin.

The person, who was documented as Pickton’s next of kin since 2011, turned out to be someone else. The board was unable to determine if Pickton was aware that his next of kin had changed their contact information, since that information was not documented, and staff had not been informed of the change.

The reminder to update that contact information is found in the structured casework records, which has been the subject of non-compliance.

The board’s recommendations and action plans

The board recommended that the Port-Cartier Institution establish an action plan to reduce accessibility to items that are used or transformed for purposes that jeopardize the security of the institution.

They also recommended that the Correctional Operations and Programs Sector ensure that correctional officers are provided with tools, so they can fulfill their obligations associated with the evaluation process of assessing inmates’ progress.

The Board of Investigation finally suggested that the Policy Sector assess the organizational risk that the CSC is exposed to, under the current practices of collecting and sharing information to an inmate’s next of kin.

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