Family remembers man who died in Barton Street jail before inquest

A local family is hoping to finally get some answers as Hamilton’s coroner has set a date and time for the inquest into the death of 26-year-old Zachary Rogers, who died while at Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre.

The family says they have been waiting for this inquest because they hope it will provide a positive step forward to prevent future deaths.

“I know he wanted something different for himself, like he wanted to start a business, he did have goals right, but he was unfortunately unable to meet them,” says Tesla Dolan, Rogers’ former partner.

Zakery Rogers was once an inmate at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre where he died in his cell back in 2021 but his family remembers him as a loving father, creative, and hard working man.

“He was a good dad, he was always playing with the girls in the backyard, or building snow hills out when we had an abundance of snow just so they could sled in the front yard,” Dolan says.

“His kids the other day were talking about how much he loved animals, and how he brought home a snake and all of its babies one time and wanted to keep it. But, his kids were really his world,” says Kylee Rogers, Zakery’s sister.

Back in 2020, Zakery was in jail awaiting trial for an alleged string of break and enters.

“He had a lot of mental health issues and what not that really really affected him,” says Dolan.

READ MORE: Coroners set inquest date for 26-year-old man who died in Hamilton jail

His sister Kylee says he was seeing a psychiatrist and was doing well with medication when she helped with bail on Christmas Eve in 2020 but the pharmacy never received his prescription from the prison and he struggled.

“Kind of led to this whole domino effect that ultimately led to him dying,” Rogers says.

Zakery went missing for a month, before he was brought back to jail in late January 2021.

The next day he was found without vital signs in his cell, he was resuscitated in hospital and discharged back to the jail. He later died there within a short amount of time.

At the time Zakery’s death was ruled inconclusive

READ MORE: Inquest begins into death of 26-year-old at Hamilton jail

His family has been waiting for an inquest ever since and now with a date set they’re hoping for positive change in the jail system.

“I’m really hoping for some recommendations around continuity of care, supporting people that are exiting incarceration to help them transition into the community better,” says Rogers’ sister.

The Chair of the Bridge, an organization that assists inmates with transitioning back into the community, says a large number of inmates deal with mental health and addictions issues… she says more support needs to be available to them when they leave the jail doors.”

“A lot of times individuals are being seen as their behaviour and not the causation behind it, and this is where mental health addictions, they were screened early, we could help more people, we could have less recidivism, we can have people coming back to their families, not only to be there, but to stop that generational cycle as well,” says Sarah Warry an Addictions Specialist from Chair of the Bridge.

The inquest is set for Monday at 9:30 a.m.

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