by Web Master | Sep 28, 2026 | News, News Releases, Uncategorized
Organizations call for Action to End the Deaths of Indigenous People in Custody
Inquest into the death of Kendal Campeau begins today
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE – September 28, 2026
Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Burnaby, BC) – Today marks the opening of the inquest into the death of Kendal Campeau, a member of the Yellow Quill First Nation who died in the custody of Correctional Service Canada (CSC) on November 14, 2021. Mr. Campeau was 31 years old.
Mr. Campeau’s death highlights the ongoing and disproportionate harms experienced by Indigenous people in Canada’s prison system. The BC First Nations Justice Council (BCFNJC), BC Assembly of First Nations (BCAFN), First Nations Summit (FNS), Union of BC Indian Chiefs (UBCIC), and Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) are calling on all levels of government to address the systemic conditions that contribute to the mass incarceration and in-custody deaths of Indigenous people.
On the day of his death, Mr. Campeau experienced an overdose from a toxic combination of medications and was transported to hospital. He was discharged shortly afterward and returned to custody. Hours later, while under observation in a prison cell, he died.
Mr. Campeau’s sister, Ashley Fontaine, said: “Kendal was a son, a brother, a friend to many and a proud uncle. He was kind and giving, and he cared for others who were struggling. He was confined and locked up most of his life — a lifetime of institutional living. All he ever wanted was one Christmas with the whole family. He never experienced this and never will.”
Indigenous people make up approximately one third of the federal prison population in Canada, and are disproportionately exposed to some of the most harmful aspects of incarceration, including isolation, uses of force, and self-harm incidents.
The BCAFN, BCFNJC, FNS, UBCIC, and PLS have repeatedly called on Canada to address the mass incarceration of Indigenous Peoples by redirecting resources from prisons to Indigenous governments, organizations and communities to support community-based solutions.
Mr. Campeau had a long history of being harmed by colonial systems, including the foster care and prison systems. He spent prolonged periods in solitary confinement, experienced violent abuse by prison officers, and survived suicide attempts. An investigation by CSC found that the correctional service failed to appropriately consider Mr. Campeau’s Indigenous Social History when making decisions about his incarceration.
“Canada has been forcefully removing Indigenous people from their families and communities for far too long – through residential schools, the 60s scoop, and now prisons”, said Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, UBCIC President. “This inquest illustrates the critical need for emergency interventions on the part Canada according to the intent and purpose of the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. The federal and provincial governments must use the opportunity presented by this inquest to understand not only the immediate circumstances of Kendal’s death, but the systemic, impoverished conditions that placed him at risk and failed to protect him. His family deserves answers and meaningful action to prevent another death in custody.”
Mr. Campeau lived with chronic pain and significant mental health needs. At the time of his death, he was being held at the Regional Treatment Centre-Pacific, a CSC facility meant to provide psychiatric care to people in federal custody. CSC treatment centres were recently the subject of a scathing critique by the Correctional Investigator of Canada, who concluded there was little to differentiate them from regular prisons and that security is prioritized over the delivery of care.
In the weeks before his death, Mr. Campeau spoke to a doctor about being prescribed methadone, an Opioid agonist Treatment (OAT), but he never received a prescription. The BC Coroner’s Service determined that Mr. Campeau died of methadone toxicity, an indication that he obtained methadone through other means in an attempt to self-medicate.
Doctors, researchers and civil society organizations have condemned new CSC restrictions on OAT in prison and called instead for evidence-based care.
“When a loved one is placed in an institution, they should be receiving client-centred care to meet their needs to be returned to their families healed and on a better path,” said Ms. Fontaine. “Families should be included in the rehabilitation of their loved ones. Those who are placed in institutional settings are human beings and deserve love, care and respect, no matter their circumstances.”
“Mr. Campeau’s death highlights the numerous ways that CSC is failing people with high mental health needs, people who use substances, and Indigenous people,” said Hugh Braker from the First Nations Summit Political Executive. “More security, surveillance and restrictions are not the answer. People in prison have the right to meaningful healthcare just like people in the community, but by and large that’s not what they’re getting, which is of great concern.”
Cloy-e-iis (Dr. Judith Sayers), BCFNJC Director and Representative for Policing and Oversight, said: “The tragic and preventable death of Kendal Campeau is a devastating reflection of the broader systemic failures within Correctional Service Canada. Kendal was a treasured son, brother, uncle, and member of Yellow Quill First Nation, and his family deserves absolute transparency and accountability. To ensure another family does not suffer this same loss, the BCFNJC demands that Canada and BC take immediate action to address the needs of Indigenous people in their care, starting with the immediate reform of solitary confinement conditions in strict alignment with Tona’s Law. The justice system must stop perpetuating trauma and finally commit to actionable reform and Indigenous healing.”
“The tragic death of Mr. Kendal Campeau at a CSC facility is a reminder of countless other instances of violence and fatalities that First Nations peoples have experienced at the hands of officers and agents of the Crown in BC and across the country,” said BCAFN Regional Chief Terry Teegee. “This case demonstrates that it is past time for Canada to fully implement the BC and National First Nations justice strategies to ensure meaningful reform of the existing justice system and the rebuilding of First Nations justice systems.”
The inquest begins on September 28, 2026 at 9:30am and will be livestreamed on the BC Coroner’s website.
Media Contacts:
Grand Chief Stewart Phillip, Union of BC Indian Chiefs – 250 490-5314
Hugh Braker, First Nations Summit – 604-812-2632; hbraker@fns.bc.ca
BC First Nations Justice Council – communications@bcfnjc.com
Annette Schroeter, BCAFN Communications Officer – 778-281-1655
Nicole Kief, Prisoners’ Legal Services – nkief@pls-bc.ca; 604-636-0470
by Web Master | Sep 17, 2026 | Mental Health, News, News Releases, Uncategorized
Commonly used medications to treat depression, ADHD, and other conditions have been removed from or restricted in federal prisons with no consultation and with little regard for mental and physical health consequences for people in prison
September 17, 2026 – Toronto, ON – Twenty civil society organizations have signed and released an open letter today expressing grave concern with a decision by Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to restrict access to medications commonly used to treat depression, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and other conditions for people in federal prisons.
As of May 1, 2026, incarcerated people no longer have access to bupropion (Wellbutrin), a medication used to treat depression and facilitate smoking cessation that can also benefit other conditions such as ADHD and stimulant use disorder. Beginning October 1, 2026, immediate-release psychostimulants used to treat ADHD, including methylphenidate (Ritalin) and dextroamphetamine (Dexadrine), are also scheduled to be removed from CSC’s list of available medications. Access to other long-acting stimulant medications used to treat ADHD, including methylphenidate (Foquest) and lisdexamfetamine (Vyvanse) will also be limited.
Organizations have already received phone calls from distressed patients in prison who have had their medication discontinued without the opportunity to transition to a different medication and without any information about what side effects to expect.
“Many of the incarcerated people we speak to already mistrust their health providers, in part because healthcare in federal prisons is not independent of corrections, contrary to the United Nations’ Mandela Rules,” says Nicole Kief, Executive Director at Prisoners’ Legal Services. “These new restrictions will only help solidify the impression that health staff are not there to support patients and are instead part of the punishment apparatus. CSC must not only halt these recent changes but disentangle healthcare from corrections entirely.”
The latest restrictions come shortly after the controversial 2025 removal of Suboxone as a routinely available opioid agonist treatment for incarcerated patients who use opioids, criticized by many of the same organizations for disregarding the principles of patient-centred and trauma-informed care. More than 150 addictions medicine clinicians and researchers also condemned that decision, citing concerns about patient choice, bodily autonomy, and the shift away from evidence-based care. Since then, participation in CSC’s opioid agonist treatment program has fallen significantly — from 3,443 people in March 2025 to 2,420 in June 2026 — despite the ongoing toxic drug crisis.
None of the expert organizations who signed today’s letter were consulted in advance of these new restrictions by CSC, nor are they aware of any consultations with patients or external subject-matter experts. While CSC claims the changes were informed by reviews of clinical evidence, guidelines, and safety issues, it has not disclosed what evidence was considered, who conducted the reviews, or what they found.
“These formulary restrictions disregard the benefits people might be experiencing from their current medications, and the harms or even risk of death that can result from discontinuing an effective treatment,” says Katie Dorman, Family Physician and Assistant Professor with the University of Toronto. “Medication disruptions in prison can be particularly destabilizing and cause mental health symptoms to return at a time when people are exposed to higher risk and have less healthcare access.”
Discontinuing a stable antidepressant can have serious consequences, including suicide or overdose. For people who are incarcerated, dysregulation and the resulting behavioural changes can lead to punishment, and finding suitable alternatives can be especially difficult in prison settings where access to comprehensive care is often limited.
The signatories to this letter are concerned that CSC is allowing undefined institutional security concerns to dictate medical care without first exploring the validity of those concerns and without any evidence that medication restrictions will address the problem.
“This is not patient-centred care,” says HIV Legal Network Policy Analyst Anne-Rachelle Boulanger, “and it is definitely not the community-equivalent care that CSC is legally obligated to provide. The Government of Canada is also once again failing to meet its commitments to reconciliation with Indigenous Peoples and to close the gaps in health outcomes between Indigenous and non-Indigenous communities. Indigenous people, and Indigenous women in particular, are grossly overrepresented in federal custody, meaning these new restrictions will fall disproportionately on them.”
Among the urgent recommendations in today’s letter is a call to immediately pause any further changes to medications available in federal prisons and restore the medications that have been removed pending a comprehensive review, including consultations with affected stakeholders and experts, especially incarcerated people themselves.
The letter is available here.
Media Contact: Dylan DeMarsh, HIV Legal Network
by Web Master | Apr 21, 2026 | News, News Releases, Uncategorized
New York – Today, a coalition of Indigenous governments and organizations and allies are in New York at the 25th Session of the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues to draw international attention to Canada’s increasing mass incarceration of Indigenous Peoples. The Assembly of First Nations, BC First Nations Justice Council, Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, Prince Albert Grand Council, Union of BC Indian Chiefs and Prisoners’ Legal Services are urging Canada to end to the mass incarceration of Indigenous Peoples.
Indigenous people represent 5% of the population in Canada but 33% of people in federal prisons. Half of all women in federal prisons are Indigenous. Indigenous people also spend more of their sentences in custody and are disproportionately exposed to the most punishing and damaging aspects of prison, including solitary confinement, and are over-represented in self-harm injuries and deaths by suicide in prison. Legal provisions that would allow Indigenous people to serve their sentences in Indigenous communities are under-funded and rarely used.
Canada is called on to redirect one third of Correctional Service Canada’s approximately $3 billion annual budget – or $1 billion annually – to Indigenous governments and organizations to decarcerate Indigenous Peoples in a manner consistent with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.
Assembly of First Nations National Chief Cindy Woodhouse-Nepinak states:
There is no justice for First Nations in Canada’s so-called justice system. First Nations are massively over-policed and over-incarcerated as a result of systemic discrimination. This reality has been confirmed by countless Canadian justice inquiries and by UN human rights reports, over decades.
First Nations continue to condemn this systemic discrimination, and insist on effective corrective action. Likewise, the massive apprehension of First Nations children under provincial and territorial child welfare laws is a part of this systemic discrimination as Chief Willie Littlechild has said many times. The so-called child welfare system is a pipeline that funnels our children into conflict with the law and often places their welfare at risk. Governments at all levels in Canada must follow the lead of First Nations to restore our ways of justice, healing, and reconciliation.
BC First Nations Justice Council Chair Hemas Kla-Lee-Lee-Kla, Kory Wilson states:
At the British Columba First Nations Justice Council – we know what works. Our Indigenous-led justice programs are preventing recidivism, supporting healing, and improving safety in communities. We know how to decrease the overrepresentation of Indigenous people in the Criminal Justice System and how to move Indigenous people towards self-determination. The issue is not a lack of solutions; it is a lack of sustained investment and authority in Indigenous-led solutions. If Canada is serious about ending the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in the Criminal Justice System, it must invest in and scale what is already working, and support Indigenous governments to lead.
Prince Albert Grand Council Grand Chief Brian Hardlotte states:
For decades, Canada has promised to reduce the overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in prison, yet today we make up just 5% of the population and one-third of those in federal custody, and half of incarcerated women. This is systemic racism rooted in colonialism, not individual failure. The case of Joey Toutsaint, a member of Black Lake Denesuline First Nation, held for over 3,000 days in intermittent solitary confinement in violation of the UN Nelson Mandela Rules, shows the profound harm this system continues to inflict on Indigenous Peoples. These conditions are driving disproportionate rates of self-harm and suicide and constitute a serious threat to the health and wellbeing of Indigenous Peoples. In accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, Canada must work in true partnership with First Nations to support self-determined approaches to justice, community safety, and healing by transferring resources and authority to Indigenous governments. The solution is clear, respect our right to self-determination and end the mass incarceration of Indigenous Peoples.
Union of BC Indian Chiefs Women’s Representative Katisha Paul states:
The Union of B.C. Indian Chiefs is calling out Canada’s mass incarceration of Indigenous Peoples as a continuation of colonial violence. From the ground at the United Nations Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, we condemn the overrepresentation of Indigenous women, men, youth, and Two-Spirit relatives in prison as unacceptable and reflective of deep systemic failures. Real solutions require the transfer of resources, jurisdiction, and authority to First Nations governments to lead restorative justice and healing in our territories with our own Nation-based, specific approaches.
For more information, see our information sheet and Prisoners’ Legal Services’ report Decarceration through Self-Determination: Ending the mass incarceration of Indigenous people in Canada.
Media contacts:
Jennifer Duncan
Barrister & Solicitor
JDuncan@duncanco.ca
778-840-8212
Cherish Francis
Press Secretary
Office of the National Chief
Assembly of First Nations
(343) 630-1372 (mobile)
cfrancis@afn.ca
Natalie Martin
Director of Communications
BC First Nations Justice Council
natalie.martin@bcfnjc.com
Katisha Paul
Women’s Representative
Union of BC Indian Chiefs
womensrep@ubcic.bc.ca
Nicole Kief
Executive Director, Prisoners’ Legal Services
nkief@pls-bc.ca
by Web Master | Aug 12, 2025 | News, Uncategorized
Prisoners’ Legal Services is a non-profit society providing legal assistance to people in federal and provincial prisons in British Columbia. We also engage in strategic litigation and advocacy on the prison justice issues brought forward by our clients to achieve systemic, anti-carceral change. We are a team of lawyers and non-lawyers who believe that no one is disposable, and who work alongside and in solidarity with incarcerated people. We witness some of the harshest forms of state violence, and use the legal system’s tools to protect our clients from the abuses and degradations of prison.
We are currently hiring for the following positions:
Director of Legal Services
Human rights and healthcare staff lawyer
Applications due by September 15, 2025.
Prisoners’ Legal Services is located in Burnaby, BC, on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and qiqéyt (Qayqayt) Nations.
by Web Master | Jul 10, 2025 | News, Uncategorized
LEGAL ADVOCATE – RACIAL JUSTICE PROGRAM
Burnaby, BC | Prisoners’ Legal Services is located on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) and qiqéyt (Qayqayt) Nations.
Title: Legal Advocate – Racial Justice Program
Location: Primarily in-person at our office in Burnaby, with some remote work opportunities
Employment type: Full-time (approximately 35 hours/week)
Salary: $66,402/year
Application deadline: August 1, 2025 or until filled. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
Start date: As soon as possible.
Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) is looking for a passionate, strategic, reliable and empathetic person to join our efforts to protect the rights and dignity of people in prison as a legal advocate focusing on racial justice. The Racial Justice Advocate position is an opportunity to help advance systemic change while also providing direct legal support to racialized incarcerated people.
About us:
Prisoners’ Legal Services is a non-profit society providing legal assistance to people in federal and provincial prisons in British Columbia. We also engage in strategic litigation and advocacy on the prison justice issues brought forward by our clients to achieve systemic, anti-carceral change.
We are a team of lawyers and non-lawyers who believe that no one is disposable, and who work alongside and in solidarity with incarcerated people. We witness some of the harshest forms of state violence, and use the legal system’s tools to protect our clients from the abuses and degradations of prison. More information about our work is available at https://prisonjustice.org/.
About the position:
PLS’ Racial Justice Program combines individual legal services with litigation and advocacy on issues of systemic racism, including the mass incarceration of Indigenous people, the over-classification of Black and Indigenous people to higher security prisons, barriers to community release for Black and Indigenous prisoners, race-based harassment and discrimination by prison authorities, investment in prisons over community-based and Indigenous-run alternatives, and more.
The Racial Justice Advocate assists incarcerated clients, primarily by phone, with prison legal matters, focusing on issues that engage anti-Black and anti-Indigenous racism. Advocacy may involve summary advice, informal advocacy with prison authorities and others, written submissions, complaints to oversight bodies, representation at administrative hearings (such as Parole Board hearings), and more. Legal advocates have conduct of client files and are responsible for determining what services will be provided to a client and ensuring tasks are completed, deadlines are met, commitments to clients are honoured, and accurate records are kept. Legal advocates work under the supervision of a lawyer.
The Racial Justice Advocate works closely with the Racial Justice Staff Lawyer to identify trends, develop and pursue systemic litigation and advocacy, and promote the integration of individual client representation with systemic change work.
Qualifications & skills:
- Post-secondary education in law, criminology, social work, or related discipline, or equivalent education and experience;
- Strong writing, research, interviewing and negotiation skills;
- Ability to be a strong advocate for marginalized clients, including people with high mental health needs and people convicted of various crimes;
- Excellent communication and interpersonal skills and the ability to work with people in prison, lawyers, prison and parole officials, community partners, and others;
- Knowledge of colonialism and anti-Black and anti-Indigenous systems of oppression; strong commitment to social justice and anti-oppression work;
- Excellent judgment in matters of ethics and confidentiality;
- Interest in law and legal approaches;
- Intellectual curiosity and creativity, and an ability to think strategically;
- Ability to work collaboratively as part of a team and to partner effectively and compassionately with incarcerated clients;
- Familiarity with concepts of cultural safety and humility;
- Self-directed and attentive to detail, with the ability to set goals and meet deadlines;
- Critical and anti-colonial approach to carceral systems;
- Ability to care for yourself and colleagues amidst challenging work;
- Knowledge of French an asset.
Working Conditions:
This is a primarily in-person position based at our office in an elevator building in Burnaby, BC, with some opportunities for remote work. Office hours are approximately 8:30-4:30 Monday – Friday, with periodic work outside these hours. Each advocate has their own office within our communal office space. There is a gender-neutral accessible washroom. Staff are unionized.
The position requires extensive phone communication, in-person and virtual meetings and hearings, and travel to prisons in the Lower Mainland and Fraser Valley. A driver’s licence and as-needed access to a vehicle strongly preferred. A CPIC clearance will be required to visit prisons.
This position is dependent on grant funding.
Salary: $66,402/year, plus a comprehensive benefits package. Additional benefits include 20 paid vacation days, wellness days and professional development opportunities.
How to apply:
We are committed to upholding the values of equity, diversity, inclusion and social justice. We welcome and encourage applications from members of marginalized communities or communities that experience structural discrimination, including but not limited to Indigenous people, racialized people, people with (dis)abilities, and people of minority gender identities and sexual orientations.
As an employer, we strive to create an inclusive and barrier-free recruitment and selection process; please contact info@pls-bc.ca to request accommodations.
Interested applicants should submit a covering letter and résumé to:
Nicole Kief, Executive Director
Prisoners’ Legal Services/West Coast Prison Justice Society
info@pls-bc.ca
Please note “Racial Justice Advocate” in the subject line.
Closing date: August 1, 2025 or until filled. Interviews will be conducted on a rolling basis.
by Nicole Kief | May 8, 2025 | News, Uncategorized
The West Coast Prison Justice Society / Prisoners’ Legal Services, represented by Alina Chekh, John Trueman, and Danielle Wierenga of Allen / McMillan Litigation Counsel, will be at the Supreme Court of Canada on May 13, 2025.
The appeal, Frank Dorsey and Ghassan Salah v. Attorney General of Canada, asks whether the ancient writ of habeas corpus should be available to incarcerated persons who have been wrongfully denied reclassification and transfer to a lower security level. The West Coast Prison Justice Society was granted leave to intervene to explain the impact the court’s decision will have on prisoners in maximum security institutions.
In his oral submissions to the Court, John will explain how a wrongful reclassification and transfer decision is as impactful — and as illegal — as wrongful imprisonment itself, and habeas corpus provides a timely, accessible, and effective remedy for such injustices.
The Supreme Court of Canada’s hearing on May 13 will be webcast live.
