In Memory of Those Who Have Died...
Victims of Institutional Neglect
Jamie Dooley (2024) CBC News
He died in Hamilton's jail within 24 hours of going in. Dooley is remembered for his generosity, his love for family, and his athleticism and work as a sous chef, among other things.
Robert Soberal (2021) Hamilton Spec.
Rob was kind and cared deeply for his family. He struggled with addiction for many years, but had it under control enough in his younger years to maintain jobs, including doing basement waterproofing and making bumpers for transport trucks. At one time, he had a house in St. Catharines with a girlfriend. He was very close with his mom, and when she died, things fell apart.
Zakery Douglas Rogers (2021) Memorial
Zakery Rogers’ sister says if the province had better support for him as he was getting out, the loving father may still be alive.
Paul Debien (2019) CBC News
Just last weekend, Brenda Thomson was protesting in front of the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, in solidarity with those who have had family members die while inmates at the jail. Inside the jail, her son was banging on the windows to show support. Then she got the call Friday morning: her son had died. Now he was among the dead.
Nathaniel Golden (2019) CBC News
"What did my son die from? Where was he when he died? Why can't anyone give me answers?" said Golden's father, Ian. "I just get a letter," he said, clutching a note from the jail read out moments before in court, notifying the judge of Golden's death. "That's all I get."
Christopher John Sharp (2018) CBC News
The 53-year-old was originally from London, Ont. His mother, Carol, said she is remembering him as a man who loved animals and his family, not the inmate whose struggle with drug addiction led to decades bouncing in and out of jail.
Brennan Tyler Bowley (2018) ForeverMissed.com
"He was super friendly had tons of friends, was well liked, loved animals, his family misses him. Brennan was my first born child, my first love as a mother. There is no bigger loss than to lose a child, I suffer daily!"
Jason Archer (2017) CBC News
When families are forgotten: No answers as another Barton jail death revealed. Jason Archer died of a suspected drug overdose in August, 2017 but his family still has no idea what happened.
Ryan McKechnie (2017) CBC News
He was a big fan of the Hamilton Ticats and, Amy says, he had a larger than life personality. Now there's "a giant piece of the family missing" with him not here. She regrets she ever trusted the corrections system in Ontario.
Peter Michael McNelis (2016) Obituary
Every day something happens that brings you to mind which makes us smile, laugh or cry. You have been missed and will continue to be missed, until we all meet again someday. Your loving parents Michael and Mariea McNelis, brother Gary McNelis, sister Ailish McNelis and nieces Ryleigh and Emmaleigh McNelis. We miss you love you and wish you were still here.
Julien Chavaun Walton (2015) Hamilton Spectator
Julien Walton’s family believed they had more time, that he’d get a second chance, that he’d come home to them. Instead, the 20-year-old died of a fentanyl overdose after the highly-potent opioid made its way inside the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre where he was an inmate.
David Michael Gillan (2015) Hamilton Spectator
David Gillan was suicidal and had been arrested by police aware of his mental health, yet that information was not shared with the correctional staff watching him inside the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, an inquest into his death has heard.
Stephen Conrad Neeson (2015) Hamilton Spectator
Stephen, who die in the Barton Street jail, was known for his loyalty and trademark slick style, loved ones say.
Marty Tykoliz (2014) CBC News
'Help me. Hold me': Inmate's last hours so dramatic that a bystander prayed for him.
Trevor Ronald Burke (2014) Hamilton Spectator
Growing up in St. Catharines, Trevor Burke had a typical childhood, playing baseball and basketball with his friends and working for his dad’s painting business, or the family restaurant, Burkey’s Donuts.
William Acheson (2012) CBC News
William Acheson was found unresponsive in cell 18 on a fifth floor unit at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre in September 2012.
Louis Angelo Unelli (2012) Hamilton Spectator
Autopsy and toxicology reports show Louis Unelli died as the result of a mixed drug poisoning from oxycodone, hydromorphone and lorazepam.
Niagara Detention Centre Death
Jordan Case (2018) CBC News
Angela Case's 22-year-old son Jordan died from an overdose while at the Niagara Detention Centre in Thorold, Ont. Now, she does what she can to try to make sure no other mother ever has to lose a son like she did.
Not all families come forward, and not all have families, there has been more.
Some of the Known Short & Long Term Risks of Institutional Neglect...
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder • Depression • Anxiety disorders • Agoraphobia • Panic attacks • Insomnia • Suicidal ideation • Self-harm behaviors • Loss of trust in authority figures • Social withdrawal • Difficulty forming relationships • Difficulty maintaining relationships • Paranoia • Chronic hyper-vigilance • Risk of delusions and hallucinations • Emotional numbness • Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder • Heightened sensitivity to stimuli • Flashbacks • Increased risk of re-offending • Reduced educational attainment • Lower cognitive functioning • Poor impulse control • Disorientation • Memory problems • Loss of self-esteem • Increased risk of substance abuse • Decreased problem-solving abilities • Difficulty concentrating • Developmental delays • Increased risk of self-mutilation • Heightened susceptibility to mental illness • Decreased motivation • Avoidance of authority figures • Increased risk of future criminal behavior • Distrust of mental health professionals • Increased vulnerability to exploitation • Regression in social skills • Loss of hope for the future • Decreased ability to empathize with others • Impaired decision-making • Personality disorders • Disconnection from reality • Loss of coping skills • Inability to adapt to change • Fear of confinement • Increased sensitivity to stress • Difficulty expressing emotions • Inability to process trauma • Heightened anxiety in social situations • Reduced problem-solving skills • Inability to plan for the future & Inability to set and achieve goals • Impaired emotional regulation • Decreased sense of identity • Fear of abandonment • Difficulty in trusting oneself & Chronic self-doubt • Decreased self-worth & heightened risk of self-hate • Emotional instability • Loss of cultural identity • Decreased verbal communication skills • Social awkwardness • Alienation from peers • Difficulty in finding meaning in life • Loss of independence • Cognitive dissonance • Difficulty in expressing and managing feelings • Excessive guilt • Feelings of worthlessness • Increased risk of re-victimization • Impaired empathy for others • Reduced sense of morality • Impaired ability to handle stress • Hostility towards authority figures • Reduced self-awareness • Chronic physical health problems • Reduced resilience • Heightened risk of substance addiction • Impaired sense of time • Difficulty in seeking help • Insecurity about one's abilities • Difficulty trusting others • Inability to express needs • Emotional detachment • Hypochondria • Reduced ability to experience joy • Loss of faith in the justice system • Reduced ability to advocate for oneself • Chronic nightmares • Impaired moral development • Difficulty in managing anger & Increased thoughts of aggression • Decreased sense of hope • Increased risk of self-imposed isolation • Heightened risk of reclusive behaviours • Heightened vulnerability to bullying • Impaired ability to manage conflict • Difficulty in accessing mental health services • Risk of eating disorders • Development of maladaptive coping mechanisms • Increased susceptibility to manipulation • Decreased sense of safety • Loss of motivation to participate in rehabilitation programs • Heightened risk of chronic loneliness • Impaired emotional intelligence • Difficulty in handling disappointment • Decreased sense of fairness • Reduced ability to assert oneself • Inability to set boundaries • Impaired creative thinking • Chronic guilt and shame • Loss of interest in hobbies and activities • Decreased sense of spirituality • Difficulty in accessing educational resources • Impaired physical health due to stress • Heightened risk of self-neglect • Increased risk of obsessive-compulsive behaviors • Impaired problem-solving skills in everyday life • Decreased ability to take initiative • Difficulty in seeking justice or restitution • Increased risk of sexual dysfunction • Impaired ability to manage time • Loss of interest in self-improvement • Difficulty in identifying and expressing emotions • Impaired ability to navigate social situations • Decreased resilience to setbacks • Chronic mistrust of authority • Inability to make long-term plans • Reduced sense of personal agency • Impaired ability to adapt to change • Difficulty in expressing vulnerability • Increased risk of suicidal behavior • Loss of faith in humanity • Impaired sense of fairness and justice • Decreased capacity for self-compassion • Difficulty in managing intrusive thoughts • Heightened risk of dissociative disorders • Decreased ability to cooperate with others • Chronic feelings of injustice • Difficulty in accessing legal resources • Chronic self-criticism • Increased risk of regressive behavior • Impaired ability to make informed decisions • Hyperacusis or other hearing difficulties • Chronic pessimism • Difficulty in recognizing personal strengths • Decreased ability to engage in leisure activities • Impaired ability to tolerate uncertainty • Heightened risk of identity crises • Decreased capacity for self-forgiveness • Difficulty in accessing employment opportunities • Impaired ability to maintain a routine • Loss of hope for personal growth • Impaired ability to set and achieve personal goals • Difficulty in engaging in meaningful activities • Decreased sense of belonging to society • Early Death
Out of Oversight, Out of Mind .pdf
Investigation into how the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services tracks the admission and placement of segregated inmates, and the adequacy and effectiveness of the review process for such placements. By Ombudsman Ontario.
It's a Matter of Time .pdf
A 2015 systemic review of secure isolation in Ontario Youth Justice Facilities by the Provincial Advocate for Children & Youth.
Alone: Youth in Custody .pdf
The Prolonged and Repeated Isolation of Youth in Custody. Report prepared by the Ombudsperson of British Columbia, 2021.
The Devil's Playground .pdf
A Case Study of Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre (EMDC) Demonstrating the Systemic Failings of the Ontario Corrections Regime, by Nicole Kelly.
Breaking the Cycle .pdf
An update on the use of segregation and solitary confinement in Manitoba youth custody facilities. A special report by the Manitoba Advocate for Children and Youth, 2021
Youth in Segregation .pdf
Report on the segregation of Youth in Alberta, prepared by the Alberta Ombudsman, 2021.
2010 Review of HWDC .pdf
Office of the Provincial Advocate for Children and Youth for Ontario's 2010 report into youth at HWDC.
Breaking Down the Walls .pdf
Coordinating Legal and Extra-Legal Strategies to Abolish Solitary Confinement in Canada, by Rebecca Jones.
A Case for Abolition .pdf
Call to end solitary confinement by The West Coast Prison Justice Society & The Law Foundation of British Columbia, 2016.
Solitary by Another Name .pdf
The ongoing use of isolation in Canada’s federal prisons, by Prisoners’ Legal Services, a project of the West Coast Prison Justice Society, 2020.
By Any Other Name .pdf
On Monday, November 16, 2020, a coalition of groups invested in justice for prisoners launched a 15-day spotlight on the ongoing practice of solitary confinement in Canada. This is their report.
Segregation in Ontario .pdf
Independent Review of Ontario Corrections, report by the Human Services & Justice Coordinating Committee, 2017.
O.P.C.A.T. Wikipedia
The Optional Protocol to the Convention Against Torture: A treaty Canada should sign, ratify, and implement.
CFPC: Position Statement .pdf
The College of Family Physicians of Canada's Position Statement calling for the abolition of the solitary confinement of youth and in most other cases.
EMDC Online Memorial Wall E.M.D.C.
The same problems in another city. The Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre Online Memorial Wall.
Dutch List of Safe Countries Webpage
The Netherlands removed Canada from its list of safe countries in late 2021, in part due to the conditions at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre, and others like it. (An archived version from 2021 when Canada was still on the list can be found here).
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Last Updated: December 1st, 2024
