Mother of Inmate Sues After Son’s Overdose in Isolation

The mother of a Stony Mountain inmate, who died from an overdose, has initiated legal action against the Correctional Services of Canada and the federal attorney general. The lawsuit claims that the death of Ricardo Pereira, 23, was directly linked to the deterioration of his mental health after he was placed in isolation following a violent riot in July 2023.

Pereira was serving an eight-year sentence for multiple offenses, including break-and-enter and aggravated assault, when he overdosed on methadone on September 5, 2023. His mother, Dawna La Rose, filed the lawsuit on behalf of her son’s estate, asserting that the conditions of his confinement contributed to his tragic outcome.

Background of the Incident

The lawsuit provides a detailed account of the events leading to Pereira’s overdose. It highlights a string of violence within the Stony Mountain facility, which had been grappling with contraband issues and several inmate deaths. This turmoil peaked on July 17, 2023, when a riot involving up to 50 armed gang members erupted in the exercise yard. The disturbance resulted in seven injuries and the death of a 33-year-old inmate.

Following the riot, Pereira was accused of threatening corrections officers and was subsequently transferred to a structured intervention unit, a form of isolation intended to replace solitary confinement as dictated by federal policy. According to the lawsuit, inmates are supposed to receive a minimum of two hours of meaningful contact with others daily. However, Pereira’s confinement was reportedly prolonged, which the lawsuit argues can have severe psychological effects.

On July 25, 2023, Pereira was moved to a federal prison in Edmonton due to safety concerns linked to his affiliation with the Manitoba Warriors gang. He was initially placed in a confinement cell but was later allowed to interact with other inmates. Pereira returned to Stony Mountain for a court appearance on August 29, 2023, during which he experienced a grueling 14-hour transport without food or water.

Circumstances of the Overdose

The day before his death, Pereira was scheduled to meet with his mother, but all visits were cancelled due to an incident in his unit. The lawsuit states that this cancellation was distressing for him, and as a result, he consumed a bottle of methadone that morning, leading to his overdose. Although he was administered naloxone and transported to a local hospital, he was discharged later that evening and returned to the prison.

Pereira reportedly spoke to his mother that night, expressing distress over the treatment he had received from corrections officers. His emotional state raised alarms; he appeared unstable and under the influence when they spoke. Shortly after their conversation, he was placed back in the structured intervention unit. Around an hour later, Pereira was found unresponsive and was pronounced dead at 2 a.m. the next day.

The lawsuit claims that federal officials should have anticipated the risk of overdose and failed to appropriately monitor Pereira’s mental health while he was in isolation. It further alleges negligence in the prison’s policies regarding inmate health care and the procedures for confinement. La Rose seeks unspecified damages in her legal claim.

Pereira was originally from Regina and had connections to the Lake Manitoba First Nation and Birdtail Sioux First Nation. The case raises critical questions about the treatment of inmates in isolation and the responsibilities of correctional institutions for their psychological well-being.

The defendants have yet to respond to the allegations in court.