VICTORIA — The British Columbia Coroners Service says inmate deaths in the province are on the rise.
Between Jan. 1, 2013, and Dec. 31, 2023, 188 deaths were reported in state and federal correctional facilities, the department said.
The report said 25 inmate deaths occurred in 2023, compared with an average of 17 deaths per year during that period.
By comparison, 11 inmate deaths were reported in 2013.
According to the coroner’s office, 60 percent of deaths over a 10-year period were classified as natural causes, followed by 18 percent as accidental and 15 percent as suicide.
The agency noted that the data is preliminary and does not include deaths in correctional facilities, police custody or forensic psychiatric hospitals.
According to the report, 60 per cent of the deaths occurred at federal facilities, with the Pacific Laboratory in Abbotsford having by far the highest number of deaths with 64, followed by Mission Laboratory with 15.
Among provincial facilities, North Fraser Pretrial Centre in Port Coquitlam has the highest number of deaths with 23, followed by Surrey Pretrial Services Centre with 20 deaths.
About 72 percent of the 188 people who died were between 30 and 69 years old, and all but three were men, according to the coroner’s office.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published May 23, 2024.
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