'Wake up, step up': Protesters outside Hamilton prison demand change

With lost lovedones on their minds,a grouprallied outside the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre on Saturday, demanding changes tothe correctional system.

"My son's death is not going to be in vain," saidJudy Struthers,wholost her son Justin inside the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centre in 2017. "Something has to come out of this."

It was at the same Hamilton prison whereApril Tykolizlost her brotherMarty, whodied in hospital after an overdose.

Her brotherwas one of eight overdosedeaths at the HWDC probed during a six-week inquest, whichresulted in 62 recommendations to make the jail safer.

Ten months later, families arestill waiting to hear whatchanges will be made.

"Nothing's changed," said Tykoliz. "In the meantime, lots of lives could have been saved."

More inmates have overdosed and died inside the Barton Street jail in Hamiltonthan at any other provincial corrections institute in Ontario over the last several years, CBC News has learned.

This in an Ontario-wide issue, Tykoliz says.

'Wake up, step up'

"My little brother was 32 yearsold when he was found [dead] in his cell," said Lynn Pigeau, whosebrother James died of an apparent overdose at the Elgin-Middlesex Detention Centrelast year."He should still be here."

She and Struthers are part of weekly demonstrations outside the prison in London, and showed theirsupport inHamilton this weekend.She said guards need more training, facilities need better staffing, and inmates need to be assessed upon arrival for mental illness and addictions.

Struthers said their demonstrations havebeen gaininga lot more support overthe last few months, since the trial forthe 2013 murder of Adam Kargus, which ended in an acquital and a mistrial.

In late May, theyplan towalk from London to Queen's Park in Toronto to bring awareness to their cause.They had also planned to protest outside Sunday'sJuno Awards.

"Something's going to have to happen. Before we go away," said Struthers, who talked about mental health and education services for inmates.

Tykoliz said there are many changes that need to be implementedin corrections, including enhanced training to spot potential overdoses, and better communication, education counseling and job training for inmates.

Ministry will respond in May

In an earlier email to CBC News, Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Servicesspokesperson Brent Ross saidthe ministry only received the jury's recommendations in November, meaning they're still being reviewed.

He said the ministry will respond to the Office of the Chief Coroner in May.

But at Saturday's rally, the message was clear:changes need to happen now.

"Wake up, step up, let's go," saidPigeau, who sayschanges are needed "on both sides of the bars" to make prisons safe.

'Crisis' in Hamilton

NDP MPPMonique Taylorsaid there's a crisis happening in Hamilton.

Mental health and addiction supports need to be in place on the streets and in correctional facilities, she said, and theinquest's 62recommendationsneed to be implemented.

"It can't sit on the shelf and collect dust," said Taylor, the MPP for Hamilton Mountain. "Thegovernment needs to step up and make sure that that they're saving lives."

Ross said the ministry is committed to addressing problems in Ontario's corrections system.

"The ministry's commitment is to ensure HWDC, and indeed all correctional institutions, are safe and professionally run," he wrote.