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Inquest recommends changes to correctional camps

Coroner’s jury makes five suggestions to prevent similar deaths

KIRSTEN MURPHY

An inquest into the death of Bruce Aasivaaryuk, 25, concluded on Tuesday, with five recommendations for the department of Justice.

Aasivaaryuk died from exposure while in the custody of the Arviat Correctional Camp last year. The camp, 20 kilometres outside of the community, is run by the justice department and the hamlet of Arviat. The camp shut down after Aasivaaryuk’s death.

Correctional camps are on-the-land programs based on traditional Inuit knowledge. They often replace jail time for Inuit offenders.

The coroner’s jury made five recommendations:

• correctional camps should be set up closer than 20 kilometres to the nearest settlement;

• policy and procedure manual should be created;

• camps should have a minimum of two forms of transportation;

• camps should have a designated supervisor;

• programs should incorporate more traditional knowledge.

Chief coroner Elizabeth Copland said the recommendations will go to the government of Nunavut for approval.

Most camps have up to two inmates at a time. A handful of camps, such as Arviat, accept up to a half dozen inmates.

Aasivaaryuk was checking traplines when a blizzard blew in on Jan. 29, 2001. His frozen body was found less than 10 metres from his snowmobile the next day.

When the camp shut down, the remaining six inmates were transferred to the Baffin Correctional Centre in Iqaluit.

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