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By Canadian Press / Fraser Valley Today Staff

Needle Exchange Program

Safety concerns raised by prison officers union following death at Mountain Institution this week

Oct 28, 2023 | 3:45 PM

CHILLIWACK — The union representing prison officers says its members are concerned about the safety of staff and inmates over a needle exchange program proposed by the Correctional Service of Canada after an inmate in B.C. died of a fentanyl overdose.

John Randle, Union of Canadian Correctional Officers regional president, says it is now calling for overdose prevention sites over such needle exchange programs.

The Correctional Service says in a statement that there are needle exchange programs in 10 Canadian prisons and it is committed to implementing the program across the country.

But, the service didn’t reply to a request for comment on a news release it issued Friday that said Kelly Michael Richet, an inmate from Mountain Institution in Agassiz, died Tuesday while in custody.

All cases involving the death of an inmate triggers a review by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC). CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.

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