PRINCE ALBERT -- Two Saskatchewan Penitentiary corrections officers say 911 tool training would help prevent inmate deaths.
The inquest into Daniel Tokarchuk’s death continued on Tuesday.
He was found hanging in his cell in the minimum security unit on June 7, 2017. He was pronounced dead in hospital.
On Monday, corrections officer Brian MacAuley testified that he searched the kitchen for a knife to cut down Tokarchuk instead of using his 911 tool.
He said training for the tool is available, but not mandatory. The knife is a short, curved blade designed for safe and quick cutting.
Zenia Kotelko testified on Tuesday. She said she doesn’t carry a 911 tool while working in the minimum security unit and that a quick lesson on how to use it would be helpful.
Kotelko also said that overnight checks are too consistent. She said if an inmate wanted to self-harm, they would know exactly when to do so.
The radios to communicate with other workers can also sound muffled at times, she said.
Tokarchuk was serving an indefinite sentence for second-degree murder.
The inquest is expected to run until Friday.
