Jurors Call For Suicide Prevention Training

Jurors Call For Suicide Prevention Training

Tuesday, August 29, 2006 at 16:28

The father of a deceased inmate says he approves of several recommendations made at an inquest into his son’s death.

Michael Petit says this week’s hearing in Prince Albert has also given him some sense of closure as to how his son died and why it occurred.

Jurors at the hearing heard details surrounding the night staff and inmates at the Prince Albert Correctional Centre discovered 27-year-old Fabian Petit of Buffalo Narrows hanging in his cell.

Witnesses testified Petit told others he wanted to end his life, and that he slashed his forearm a few days before the night in question.

Some of the recommendations on how to prevent similar occurrences include making sure nurses have psychiatric training before diagnosing inmates who may be thinking about suicide, and that a policy be developed indicating how long inmates are to be kept in observation units.

All of the recommendations will be sent to the chief coroner’s office in a few days.