Tyrell Kenneth Benedict, seriously injured in Tuesday jail assault

The inmate attacked in his Dartmouth jail cell is clinging to life in hospital and had only been at the prison for three days, at most, before the attack.

Officials will not reveal the man's identity, but CBC News has learned he is Tyrell Kenneth Benedict, 19, of Lower Sackville. He was arrested on Friday night on break and enter related charges connected to an incident at a home in Guysborough County.

His bunkmate is accused of carrying out the assault.

Instead of being jailed at the new Northeast Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Pictou County, Benedict was transported farther away to the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility in Dartmouth earlier in the week.

On Tuesday at 10:40 p.m., correctional officers were alerted by an inmate about an attack in one of the cells. It's unclear how long the assault had been going on. The facility goes into an evening lockdown at 10:00 and guards typically go on their rounds every 30 minutes.

Halifax Regional Police say charges are pending against the cellmate, a 20-year-old Halifax man. The cellmate has been separated from the rest of the inmates.

Few details have been released, but no weapon was used.

There are no cameras in the cells, which originally had single bunks, but now often sleep two offenders.

Justice Minister Lena Diab doesn't believe housing two inmates in a cell is a problem.

'Double-bunking is standard procedure'

"There were two offenders in the same cell. Double-bunking is a standard procedure in that jail, it's a standard procedure in many jail[s]. In fact, the new one that we've built also has double-bunking," said Diab.

Police are investigating the assault, while justice officials conduct their own internal investigation.

Bill Smith, executive director of correctional services for Nova Scotia, says they'll be looking at things such as how often guards conduct their rounds and the procedures that determine inmate compatibility.

But so far, the minister says nothing stands out.

"If it is revealed that something should've be done that wasn't done, we will definitely do that. But at this point in time, I have no indication of that," said Diab.

Overcrowded jails

The jail in Dartmouth has a 375-inmate capacity and is currently close to 80 per cent full. For many years, the problem-plagued jail has been dealing with issues such as overcrowding.

To relieve the pressure there, inmates are being moved gradually from Dartmouth and other provincial jails to the new correctional facility in Priestville, Pictou County. It's nearly half-full now and has a capacity of 196 beds.   

The minister is resisting calls from the opposition for an independent review. Diab says it's not necessary because two investigations are already happening.

She adds the department has a plan to address long-standing problems in corrections. She listed off the new superintendent at the Pictou County jail, new hiring practices and $6.2 million to renovate the Dartmouth jail.

Diab says $4 million will go toward remodelling so "direct supervision" of inmates can take place.

"This will allow us to have staff right in the day room so that they can actually visually see 24/7 the prisoners," she said.

Benedict was supposed to be arraigned Thursday on break and enter charges.