Suspicious death brings lockdown at Edmonton max

The maximum-security Edmonton Institution was in lockdown Sunday after the suspicious death of an inmate the night before. The lockdown was put in effect at around 9: 30 p.m. Saturday, said Edmonton Institution spokesman Rick Dyhm.

Homicide detectives from the Edmonton Police Service are investigating. Dyhm said the death occurred inside one of their units, though he could not say where. He believes the dead inmate was being housed in his own cell. The name of the victim will not be released until next of kin have been notified.

Dyhm said the incident will be reviewed by the Correctional Service of Canada and the prison will remain in lockdown until it is safe to resume normal operation. The prison has recently exceeded its capacity for inmates. It currently houses 279 inmates, 57 more than the prison’s listed capacity of 222, assistant warden Rob Garrison told The Journal in January. Garrison said the extra prisoners were caused by changes to legislation and are being accommodated by double bunking.

The red-bricked men’s prison was built in 1978 and is slated to expand by 96 beds by 2014. Since the year 2000, there have been two homicides at the Edmonton Institution. Roland Simard was strangled in his cell on Oct 24, 2002. Three inmates wearing masks were seen leaving Simard’s cell shortly before his body was found. While guards knew who the masked inmates were, no charges were laid because it was impossible to prove Simard hadn’t been killed earlier by somebody else. A fatality inquiry into the death highlighted the need for video surveillance in the maximum security prison.

The other homicide occurred on Jan. 16, 2000, when Jason Kerr killed Joesph Garon during a fight in the prison’s dining room. Kerr stabbed Garon in the head with a sharpened spoon after Garon attacked him with a makeshift knife. He was acquitted of the killing because he was acting in self-defence.

There has only been one homicide at the Edmonton Remand Centre in the 734-bed facility’s 32-year history. Todd Stevenson died on Sept. 10, 2005 after being beaten inside his cell. No charges were laid in the death.

Edmonton Journal