Jury in the Barton Jail inquest returns with recommendations

The jury has come back with 62 recommendations to prevent future drug-related deaths at the Barton Jail after a nearly 6 week inquest into 8 deaths.

The jury’s recommendations included everything from improving security, more searches and random searches of staff, real time video monitoring, having only 2 inmates per cell, and perhaps the biggest one: tracking the number of suspected overdoes.

It was an emotional 6 weeks for the families of the 8 men who died in the jail. They became close throughout this process, supporting each other and saying despite how difficult it was to hear some of the shocking evidence, it gave them some closure and some hope for change

“Its been very up and down and heart wrenching because most of us haven’t had any answers for years,” says April Tykoliz who’s brother died at the jail in 2014, “We are all hoping that these recommendations get taken seriously.”

Glenroy Walton, who’s son died in 2015, says, “Now it is time to make sure that these recommendations get implemented that no more family has to go through what we are going through.”

Karen Shae with the Coroner’s Council said about the recommendations, “I think that with the volume and how well thought out the recommendations are they are clear realistic and within the next few months we are going to see more implementation.”

Since the inquest began there have been some changes to policies inside the jail. The ministry has said it will consider the jury’s recommendations. This inquest looked at 8 deaths between 2012 and 2016, there has been at least 5 others since plus a many other overdoses.