Correctional staff at the Edmonton Remand Centre were involved in two serious incidents at the facility on Tuesday, including being called on to respond to what appears to be third drug overdose at the jail in less than two weeks.
According to Alberta Justice, staff were doing rounds at the facility early Tuesday morning when they noticed an inmate appeared to be unresponsive.
“Staff were unable to wake him and initiated an emergency code,” Dan Laville, a spokesperson for Alberta Justice, said in an email to Global News on Wednesday. “On-site medical staff immediately responded and began emergency first aid, including the use of naloxone.”
Naloxone is a medication designed to rapidly reverse the effects of opioids.
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The inmate was taken to hospital where he remains in serious condition. Alberta Justice said an investigation is underway and the incident will be reviewed. They added no staff were injured as a result of the incident.
“Multiple security measures are in place at the Edmonton Remand Centre to help identify and prevent contraband use and introduction,” Alberta Justice said. “These include drug detection dogs, searches, intelligence gathering, regular rounds and checks, and the recently announced body scanner pilot project.”
On Nov. 30, two inmates from the Edmonton Remand Centre were taken to hospital after possible drug overdoses. One of the inmates was in “very serious condition” and died in hospital on Friday, a spokesperson with Alberta Justice said. The second inmate recovered and has since returned to the Edmonton Remand Centre. Both inmates were found unresponsive in separate cells.
READ MORE: Edmonton Remand Centre inmate dies after suspected drug overdose
On Wednesday, Alberta Justice also said a correctional peace officer was assaulted by an inmate hours after the suspected overdose on Tuesday. The incident is considered unrelated to the discovery of the unresponsive inmate.
“During a routine security inspection of an inmate’s cell, an inmate assaulted a correctional peace officer when the officer was performing a routine pat down of the inmate,” Laville said. “A brief struggle ensued. As a precaution, the officer went to a local hospital for follow up and the inmate was assessed by Alberta Health Services staff on-site.
“There were no serious injuries to the officer or the inmate.”
The Edmonton Remand Centre is a correctional facility with a capacity of 1,952 inmates.
-With files from Caley Ramsay
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