The families who lost loved ones at London’s Elgin Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) and Hamilton’s Wentworth Detention Centre are joining forces this month by joining each other for their protest rallies. London families will travel to Hamilton on Saturday March 16 with the hopes of supporting each other at each location at least once a month.
Tamara Bowley’s son, Brennan, died of an apparent accidental overdose on January 18, 2018. This came after spending only a single night in the Barton Street jail in Hamilton. Bowley says her son asked for help numerous times to numerous people but was ignored every step of the way until it was too late.
The Wentworth jail installed an x-ray scanner in late 2017 and started its use in early 2018 but yet drugs are still being smuggled into the jail. She says the guards need to be properly trained because if they were and knew what to look out for, her son may still be alive.
Brennan Bowley
At least 14 deaths have occurred by way of suicide at the Wentworth jail since 2017.
In May of 2018, a group of jury members recommended over 60 changes to be implemented by the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services. This came in regards to the 8 deaths from 2010-2017. They have until April of this year to implement the changes. This is already an extension as a result of the coroner not sending the recommendations to Ministry. Why the Ministry never took it upon themselves to request the recommendations themselves is unknown. At the time of these recommendations, there was 11 inmates who died by way of suspected overdose.
Since that time another 3 have already died.
Bowley shares the frustration that recommendations are not being implemented by the Ministry. “Recommendations were made prior to the last inquest and those did not get implemented. Now these recommendations are being brought up again.” Bowley says she has little faith they will get implemented this time around either.
Amy McKechnie lost her brother, Ryan, on June 29, 2017 in a suspected overdose at Hamilton’s Wentworth Detention Centre. McKechnie says they want to do these rallies to get the Ministry to take notice. “This is continuing to happen and it shouldn’t be. To my knowledge Canada does have the death penalty. These people are going in and not coming out and it’s not okay.” She goes on to say that many of these people are dying when they are still innocent as they await their trial.
McKechnie says there’s no integration into society. “There needs to be schooling, addiction counselling, and better treatment for mental health.” She feels if they had these and more programs, the inmates may have a better chance when they get out.
Ryan McKechnie
Judy Struthers lost her son, Justin, when he died on December 26, 2017 of a suspected suicide at EMDC in London. However, Struthers and her family believe otherwise. The clear bumps and bruises left on their Justin is why the family suspects he was in a fight where he may have suffered multiple kicks to the head. Struthers says both EMDC and funeral home attempted to keep the family from viewing Justin. This is why the family continues to believe suicide was not the cause of death and why they believe they are hiding something. Struthers says wants as many people as possible to know that the families are joining forces.
“I want to get it out there that we are uniting.”
Justin Struthers
She says she hopes that they can get more cities and families that have gone through the same tragedy they have.
“We gotta get it out as much as possible. More power in numbers.”
The Struthers family, along with others, have been protesting weekly at EMDC since the first protest in June of 2018.
The Struthers family is still awaiting an inquest into their son. For the Hamilton men, there has been an announcement in the inquest to invest the death of Ryan and Brennan but no date has been set yet. Whether the inquest will consist of more than one person is yet to be determined as well.
Marty Tykoliz
Although these families are coming together through very unfortunate circumstances, they have found friends in the each other to grieve with. McKechnie says they become friends with these families because they are the only ones who know what they’re going through.
“It’s like a group or club that no one ever wants to be a part of. You become family with them because you’re going through the same thing and nobody else really understands it.”
