Soleiman Faqiri's jailhouse death ruled a homicide
CTV
Jurors in a coroner's inquest into the death of a mentally ill man at an Ontario jail have recommended the province create a designated 'inspectorate' for corrections, as they ruled Soleiman Faqiri's death a homicide.
Jurors at a coroner’s inquest into the death of a mentally ill man at an Ontario jail recommended Tuesday that the province create an independent "inspectorate" for corrections, as they ruled Soleiman Faqiri’s death a homicide.
The proposed watchdog would have the authority to launch its own investigations into individual and systemic issues involving Ontario's correctional and detention centres, and would report annually on its findings.
The jury issued a total of 57 recommendations focusing on the delivery of health care – particularly mental-health services – in corrections, training for correctional staff and management, and use-of-force practices, among other issues.
They include establishing a provincial agency to oversee and deliver health care in correctional facilities, creating formalized relationships between institutions and psychiatric hospitals, and ensuring people in custody who have acute mental health issues are assessed by a mental health professional within 24 hours of a court order or remand.
Jurors expressed their condolences to the Faqiri family after delivering their findings and recommendations, and said they hoped the inquest would lead to positive changes for others in Faqiri's situation.
"At many times, it felt like watching a movie you had seen before, where there are so many instances when if one small action had been different, the ending would not have been the one we know," they said in a statement read by one juror.
"But the movie always played out the same way, and we are left to reflect on our shortcomings instead of seeing a happy ending. Hopefully this will be the last time."