The following statement was issued today by the Honourable Steve Crocker, Minister of Justice and Public Safety:

This is a tough day for a lot of people. I offer my condolences and deepest sympathies to the family and friends of the man who died in custody at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary on November 6, 2019.

This is a highly sensitive and serious situation. We respect the work of the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary and thank them. We have and will continue to review policies and procedures in adult corrections to ensure we meet best practices from across the country.

As an employer, the Government of Newfoundland and Labrador cannot comment on human resource issues including the employment status of Correctional Officers involved in the investigation.

I appreciate the great amount of interest and concern regarding this case, but as this matter is anticipated to be before the courts, I cannot discuss details of what happened.

As Minister of Justice and Public Safety, I reiterate my commitment to ensuring we have a safe and healthy living and work environment across all of our correctional facilities for staff and inmates.

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Media contact
Danielle Barron
Justice and Public Safety
709-729-5188, 691-2944
daniellebarron@gov.nl.ca