Today Soleiman Faqiri’s Family held a Press Conference protesting the Ontario Government’s lack of response to the Jury’s recommendations in the Inquest into Soli’s death. A New Bill was tabled by a member of the opposition.
Here is a link to Shanifa Nasser’s thoughtful coverage of the Press Conference for the CBC:
The article quotes some of my comments regarding the failure to act on the Recommendations.
‘People keep dying, predictably and preventably’
While non-binding, the recommendations stemming from his death gave the province a “realistic, immediate action plan to prevent the next predictable death of someone in a mental health crisis” in corrections, said lawyer Anita Szigeti, who represented the mental health advocacy organization Empowerment Council during the inquest.
By now, Szigeti said, the province could have easily acted on “cost-neutral” recommendations, including committing to independent oversight of provincial jails, reviewing use-of-force options — particularly when it comes to people in crisis — and ending the use of spit hoods.
As recently as April, Szigeti points out, another man with a mental illness died in an Ontario jail — while the province continues to “review” recommendations made months ago. Ibrahim Ali’s family spoke to The Globe and Mail about his condition earlier this month.
“The Coroner’s motto is, ‘We speak for the dead to protect the living,'” said Szigeti. “The Government of Ontario is not listening. They’re plugging their ears and humming to avoid having to confront the reality that vulnerable people keep dying, predictably and preventably.”
TVO’s The Agenda with Steve Paikin also examined the Inquest Recommendations in a thought-provoking Episode you can watch here:
https://www.tvo.org/video/addressing-mental-illness-in-prisons
anitaszigeti 