Manitoba’s largest employees' union is asking people to hold off judgement on the deaths of two men in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre until all facts are known.
“The province needs to clear the air – by bringing the investigations of these recent deaths to a conclusion, and by meeting with the families of these inmates,” Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union president Michelle Gawronsky said in a statement Wednesday.
On Tuesday a man in custody at the Winnipeg Remand Centre died in hospital.
Manitoba Corrections explained they are unable to provide additional information about the death because of privacy reasons.
READ MORE: Death at Remand Centre under investigation
Previously, another man, also in custody at the centre, died in hospital on Oct, 12.
The Independent Investigation Unit of Manitoba said that during the processing procedure at the centre, a struggle broke out and the man “suffered a medical emergency and became unresponsive”. The man was taken by ambulance to Health Sciences Centre, where he was pronounced dead.
The Office of the Chief Medical Examiner has also been told about the death.
“Correctional officers work under challenging, stressful, and often dangerous conditions. They take very seriously their professional responsibility to ensure a safe environment for both inmates and their co-workers,” Gawronsky said.
As required by law, Manitoba Corrections will launch an internal review and report the death to the Office of the Chief Medical Examiner.
