2 Barton jail correctional officers charged with selling drugs to inmates
The arrests follow an inquest into drug overdoses among inmates at the detention centre
Hamilton police charged two correctional officers at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre for distributing drugs to inmates.
After at least 20 potential overdoses in 2019, an inquest led to the formation of an investigation group between police and the jail. It spent six months investigating if officers were giving drugs to inmates.
James Mcrae, 30, of Kitchener and Pierre-Luc Plouffe, 39, of Delhi, were arrested and are accused of distributing illegal cannabis inside the facility. Police say they are no longer employed at the jail.
The inquest made 62 recommendations— including limiting the number of inmates allowed in a cell, possible random searches of staff and having every guard carry naloxone.
The provincial government rejected random searches of corrections staff and said it couldn't control the number of inmates confined to each cell, but it was committing to improving communication with police and health agencies.
Eleven people died from drug overdoses at the HWDC between 2010 and 2017, according to statistics from the Office of the Chief Coroner, which is almost triple the number of the next closest facility. Five have died since.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General and the union representing workers at the detention centre were not immediately available for comment.
With files from Dan Taekema