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behind and beyond bars, inmates at risk of overdose

they’re released, (say) ‘let’s go party,’ and the drug toxicity has changed. the tolerance has changed. and there you go. that’s a recipe for death."

jordan allen bundus left jail for the last time in may 2015.
a day later, he suffered a fatal overdose.
during his time in custody, the substance use that led him there was never addressed, said his mother cheryl deschene.

“they’ve never had any kind of cognitive therapy, any trauma-informed care, anything that would assist (inmates) to become healthy. they’re released, (say) ‘let’s go party,’ and the drug toxicity has changed. the tolerance has changed. and there you go.

“that’s a recipe for death.”

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drugs behind bars
saskatchewan’s jails have an addiction problem.

inside, advocates say services are inadequate and difficult to access. if inmates are not connected to services in the community upon release, relapse is more likely and can be fatal.

until recently, only the regina correctional centre had a dedicated substance use treatment unit; it has since been expanded to the men’s jail in prince albert and pine grove, the women’s jail in spruce home, just outside prince albert. saskatoon’s jail is expected to open one in april.

the units offer 10 five-week treatment sessions per year, with space for up to 450 inmates annually.
the corrections ministry also has contracts with addiction counsellors from the saskatchewan health authority and uses courage to change, a journaling program developed in the united states.
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“we have tried to ensure that we’re able to do programming at centres,” said dean carey, executive director of offender services for the ministry.

however, remand inmates — who have been charged but not convicted — can’t access substance use programs. as of december 2020, they represented more than half the people in saskatchewan’s jails. 

stan tu’inukuafe, co-founder of str8 up, which works with people leaving gang lifestyles, believes the majority of people in jail are there because of addictions.
“that means, because they’re on remand, a lot of them are being released without really addressing the reason why they’re going in there,” he said.
carey said group programs for remand inmates wouldn’t work because they stay in jail for an average of only 10 days, sometimes less. he said some services are provided, citing addictions counsellor visits at pine grove and the prince albert jail.
services are not meeting the need, advocates say.
beverly fullerton, a liaison worker at community legal assistance services for saskatoon inner city inc (classic), served a five-year sentence after pleading guilty in 2011 to a list of charges involving her former partner’s cocaine dealing ring.
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she has heard stories of long wait times for treatment services on both sides of the bars, which creates a fundamental barrier to access, she said. 
“there’s nothing going on in prison that’s giving people the opportunity to make different choices.”
 beverly fullerton is a former inmate who now works for the classic poverty law clinic in riversdale.
beverly fullerton is a former inmate who now works for the classic poverty law clinic in riversdale. matt smith / saskatoon starphoenix

the problem is compounded by the continued availability of illicit drugs in jail, fullerton added.

while data on overdoses inside facilities is hard to come by, an internal briefing note about overdoses in provincial jails said staff deployed the opioid overdose antidote naloxone 38 times  between january 2017 and feb. 3, 2020. there were also 20 incidents of suspected overdose that did not require the use of naloxone between nov. 5, 2018 and nov. 25, 2019.

in recent years, the province has invested in “drug toilets” and body scanners to try to prevent illicit substances from entering the jails. 

after release
in april 2021, cory cardinal stood on the side of 22nd street west in saskatoon, holding a sign that said “protect humanity.”
cardinal spent years advocating for reform inside saskatchewan’s jails, including for people who use drugs.

he joined a demonstration in support of the city’s supervised drug consumption site in part because he believed there weren’t enough supports for people who use opioids behind bars, he said.

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 cory cardinal said the lack of support for inmates with addictions beyond bars bordered on negligence.
cory cardinal said the lack of support for inmates with addictions beyond bars bordered on negligence. jpg

he worried that it left people like him at risk of death after release, as fentanyl flooded saskatchewan’s illicit drug supply.

“you’d think the correctional is where they’d want to get people started on some harm reduction — treated with suboxone, so when you get out, you’re sober,” cardinal said, referring to an opioid substitute medication.
“the lack of proactive measures with the ministry of corrections is borderline negligent.”
cardinal died of an overdose two months later.

studies in other canadian jurisdictions have found the period soon after release from custody is a risky time for people who use drugs. in british columbia, a 2020 study found overdoses accounted for more than 60 per cent of fatalities among people recently returned to the community.

no similar hard data exists in saskatchewan. anecdotally, outreach workers say it is not uncommon.
advocate sherri maier, founder of beyond prison walls canada, worked closely with cardinal during the pandemic to transcribe and distribute open letters about conditions in the saskatoon jail.
maier said cardinal had tried to find a place and get help, but was told programs were full. programs should have been arranged for him ahead of time and he shouldn’t have had to navigate on his own, she added.

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“i guess you could say there really isn’t anything on the transition out.”
she sees many “slipping” and going right back into custody for similar reasons, she said.
in her role, fullerton said she has called treatment centres every day for clients who are being released from prison, with little success.

carey said the ministry is aware of the increased risk of overdose for recently released inmates who use substances, and is developing a take-home naloxone program with the saskatchewan health authority and working with the saskatoon tribal council on reintegration programs, which include addictions, food security and housing supports and transportation.

deschene said her son was no criminal mastermind: when he got into trouble, it was because he was high, in need of drugs or both. his first stint in custody, at age 18, happened after he failed to rob a gas station, took a cab home and assaulted the driver when he realized he had no cash — perhaps not realizing he had given his victim his home address.
her son’s substance use never defined who he was — nor should it for anyone in jail, she said.
“they’re paying the price with their freedom. but once they lose their humanity, everything is taken.”

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correction: an earlier version of this story said bundus was released in 2018. in fact, he was released in 2015. the starphoenix regrets the error. 
trapped is a multi-part series reported by zak vescera which explores the toxic drug crisis in saskatchewan.
read the entire series here. 
check out the latest 10/3 podcast featuring trapped here:

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