CONTENT WARNING: The following details may be distressing
UPDATE 3:50
The final two witnesses on Monday were a psychiatric nurse and the Deputy Warden for the Regional Psychiatric Centre since 2014.
Nurse John Petrishen-Ha testified that he was the first medical staff to respond to Toutsaint’s distress. He also spoke on the life-saving methods given to Toutsaint before EMS arrived and made the pronouncement of his death.
Petrishen-Ha did indicate he was unaware of any suicidal tendencies by Toutsaint. He says he gave Toutsaint Tylenol on the day he died and testified Toutsaint did not appear to be in distress at the time.
He also spoke on the communication between the healthcare and security staff of RPC as a necessary improvement going forward.
RPC Deputy Warden Lesia Sorokan echoed her colleague from earlier and believes there are no recommendations needed from this inquest.
Sorokan believes it is up to each individual corrections officer to read the master board in the unit to determine who is in what cell.
She says the clothes hangers are designed to break away, but admits in this case they did not work.
The deputy warden also expressed of removing the hooks as it may require RPC to remove several other objects from inmate’s rooms, which she believes may harm their comfort while inmates at the facility.
Sorokan also did admit that some information on Toutsaint’s suicidal tendencies, which were known to some medical staff at the facility, was not passed on to other staff members.
Inquest adjourned to 9:30 Tuesday morning.
UPDATE 2:30
Another corrections officer testified at the inquest saying he had brought concerns that factored into Toutsaint’s death to RPC management before his death.
Chris Crosby has worked as a correctional officer since 2008, originally on the east coast, before he was transferred to the Regional Psychiatric Centre in 2018. Crosby says he informed management of concerns around suspension points and number checks by officers. He says those concerns were not addressed. Toutsaint had hung himself on a metal bar behind a collapsible clothes hook in his cell. The corrections officer says these hooks were not in any other facility he has worked in and he believes they should be removed in RPC.
Crosby also spoke on the corrections officers’ recount policy at the facility where officers would count how many inmates should be in the units on their hourly check. On the day Toutsaint died, the last hourly check only counted 7 out of what should have been 8 inmates and when officers returned to complete the check they found Toutsaint hanging in his cell. Crosby believes the development of a bed board – a handheld log that would tell officers who should be in what cell – would be helpful rather than just a number check. He says inmate recounts were required often under the current policy at RPC.
Crosby also spoke on the communication between the treatment and security strains of RPC and believes more communication to officers on suicidal tendencies of inmates would be helpful for officers.
Grace Chopty, an assistant warden of RPC also testified at the inquest. She was filling in for the warden at the time of Toutsaint’s death. The warden was unable to be at the inquest.
Chopty says there are consistent meetings and communication between the security and treatment branches of RPC. The assistant warden also mentioned there is a master board that would show correction officers what inmate is in what cell, however, she says there is currently no way for officers to take this information with them in their wellness checks other than taking their own personal notes.
When asked if there should be any recommendations brought forward by the inquest she said no. When pressed further by Crown Prosecutor Robin Ritter on the suspension points that Toutsaint hung himself from Chopty confirmed these suspension points are still at RPC cells. However, she says there is a process to getting these suspension points removed, but admitted this is something the RPC should look into.
The inquest has adjourned for the afternoon break.
UPDATE 12:30
Early evidence in the Benjamin Toutsaint inquest indicates he died by suicide.
The first witness in the inquest was Ryan Chiesa an RPC Correctional officer with over ten years of experience who was on shift the day Toutsaint died.
Chiesa spoke on the regular hourly checks he did as a correctional officer.
At around 4:30 pm on May 18, 2019, Chiesa says he observed Toutsaint in his cell.
However, in a later check, Chiesa and another officer would come back with what was described as an incorrect count of inmates. They had counted 7 inmates while they should have counted 8.
When returning to confirm the count they would find Benjamin Toutsaint hanging in his cell.
According to the testimony, there are clothes hooks in cells that are designed to buckle under body weight. The corrections officer says Toutsaint was able to put a piece of string through a bar behind the hook connecting it to the wall.
Chiesa says Toutsaint was cut down after an officer retrieved a knife from the 911 box on the unit.
Life-saving tactics were then used on Toutsaint for what Chiesa testifies was over half an hour before EMT arrived.
According to Chiesa, he believes Toutsaint was alive when they cut him down.
The Regional Psychiatric Centre is designed to help inmates who may struggle with mental health issues. While Chiesa says officers are usually only informed of a patient’s treatment if there are security issues he says it would be beneficial to know if an inmate is suicidal.
The inquest will reconvene at 1:30 pm.
UPDATE 10:45:
Six jurors have been selected – Three of whom are indigenous.
While the conference centre has been booked for the entire week, Gough has indicated he expects the inquest to wrap up by Wednesday afternoon.
UPDATE 10:30:
Jury selection has begun at the inquest into the death of a Black Lake First Nation man at a Saskatoon correctional centre.
Benjamin Toutsaint was serving a two-year sentence for assault at the Regional Psychiatric Centre when he died in May of 2019.
A public inquest into his death is taking place in Saskatoon this week.
The inquest will be presided by Brent Gough (Goff) of the Saskatchewan Coroner’s office.
In his opening address to the inquest, Gough reminded the potential jurors of what the purpose of the inquest will be.
The inquest will aim to examine the circumstances around Toutsaint’s death and will also bring to light any dangerous practices.
Gough reminded everyone that an inquest is not a trial and is not designed to find criminal responsibility or fault.
The six jurors selected will spend the week hearing evidence into the manner in which Toutsaint died.
The inquest has ensured that three of the jurors will be Indigenous.
The jury will then have an opportunity to provide recommendations to help prevent similar deaths in the future.