NAN Supports Call by Mamakwa Family to Close Inhumane Thunder Bay District Jail
THUNDER BAY, ON: Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler is supporting the recommendations being sought by the family of the late Kevin Mamakwa to close the Thunder Bay District Jail, where Kevin tragically passed away in 2020:
“This inquest has been a difficult process for Kevin’s family, friends, and the community of Kingfisher Lake First Nation and we hope that uncovering the truth will allow them to begin the healing process. But in order to prevent another tragedy like this from happening again, we must identify what needs to be changed in the future.
I am supporting the calls by Kevin’s family to permanently close the Thunder Bay jail, which should have happened long ago. When I visited the jail six years ago, alongside the Ontario Human Rights Commissioner, I was so disturbed by what I saw that I called it a hellhole that must be shut down immediately. Up to four inmates crammed into a tiny cell, forced to sleep on the floor, fearing for their safety without access to spiritual and mental health supports.
Evidence was heard throughout the inquest that revealed the Thunder Bay jail has been declared an Ontario heritage site. It is reprehensible to think that a building with such an ugly past, and a history of gross human rights violations is being regarded as a site that should be celebrated.
We know there must be spaces for people to serve their sentences with dignity, and we have long called for more humane correctional facilities, but we are concerned that Ontario continues to invest in a system that does more harm to our people instead of healing them. Instead of focusing on more beds, no matter what deplorable conditions they are in, Ontario should be making sustained investments where is needed most including mental health services, treatment centres, and affordable housing.”
Kevin Mamakwa, 27, died on June 2, 2020, while in custody at the jail. He was the 9th person to die there since 2002. His family has waited for six agonizing years to learn how and why. The nine-day inquest has revealed evidence including the lack of alternatives in the correctional facility for those suffering from addictions, as Kevin was unable to access appropriate care, as well as the horrendous conditions experienced by inmates at the 100-year-old facility.
In 2020, the Auditor General identified that the facility was the second most overcrowded jail in the province, far exceeding 100% capacity. After witnessing what she termed “dehumanizing” conditions at the jail, Ontario Human Rights Commission Chief Commissioner Renu Mandhane called for investments to address overcrowding, mental health issues, and address the needs of Indigenous inmates.
NAN has long spoken out against the deplorable conditions at this facility, including repeated calls to close it, and has advocated for new facilities that are more humane, with space to alleviate overcrowding as well as mental and cultural supports to improve conditions for inmates and corrections officers. NAN welcomed the announcement of the new Thunder Bay Correctional Complex with the expectation that the District Jail would be closed. Ontario’s Solicitor General, however, has decided that it will remain open.
Anyone requiring emotional support or assistance is encouraged to contact NAN Hope at 1-844-NAN-HOPE (626-4673).
The Mamakwa family is represented by Meaghan Daniel, Barrister & Solicitor. Contact: 514-944-8154, meg@meaghandaniel.com
For more information please contact:
Michael Heintzman,
Director of Communications
Cell: (807) 621-2790
mheintzman@nan.ca