Inquest will probe Nunavut prisoner’s death

The Correctional Service of Canada will call an inquest to determine how a Cambridge Bay man died earlier this month at a federal prison in Ontario.

Charlie Nakashook, 51, was serving a sentence at a regional treatment centre at Kingston Penitentiary when he was discovered July 6 unresponsive in his cell, the federal agency said.

Officials say staff performed cardio-pulmonary resuscitation on Nakashook when he was discovered in his single cell, but they were unable to revive him.

A preliminary autopsy shows that Nakashook died by hanging, said Dr. Peter Clark of Ontario’s Office of the Regional Coroner.

But the autopsy report must first be presented to the inquest, where it will be analysed along with other information before the cause of death can be confirmed, Clark said.

The treatment facility where Nakashook was held is an accredited hospital within the Kingston penitentiary, where prisoners with medical needs are held.

Clark could not confirm Nakashook’s medical condition at the time of his death, but said that will be presented in the final autopsy report.

As is mandatory when an individual dies in custody, the police and coroner’s office are notified and an inquest is held.

That inquest has yet to be scheduled, said Correctional Service of Canada spokeswoman Michele Vermette, and could take a year to complete.

Once police and the coroner’s office have completed their own investigations, the inquest is called and that information is presented to a jury, whose members will determine what caused Nakashook’s July 6 death.

Nakashook was half-way through serving a four and a half year sentence at the medium security prison for sexual assault, drug trafficking and break and enter charges.