The jury at the inquest into the death of Moses Beaver said Thunder Bay, Ont., where the prominent Indigenous artist died by suicide in a jail cell, needs more money to train police and health workers in dealing with mental health cases.
Overall, they called for strengthening systems for police and others to deal with people experiencing mental distress.Another highlighted the need for cameras in certain jail cells, stressing that more consideration be given when assigning cells to inmates “who are at elevated risk of suicide.” His family had told the inquest they tried many times to find him help to deal with intergenerational trauma and his deteriorating mental health, but a disorganized system was not able to meet his needs.
A nurse and a doctor also told the inquest that their efforts to share Beaver’s medical records with the jail were ignored despite the calls they made.