A jailhouse in Thunder Bay, Ontario was accused of ignoring warnings on desperately needed updates for solitary confinement cells. It was requested by staff and government several times that the jailhouse be upgraded to suit the basic needs of inmates. The cells received small modifications but this did little to help the situation. These unsafe conditions were factors in the deaths of two inmates in 2003, 2008, and potentially a third in 2016. The death of Christopher Coaster in 2008 was the main concern in this article as it highlighted the minimal time he spent in solitary confinement and the reasons how his death could have been avoided.
An analysis of the article reveals how the story was reported. This version was published in the Globe …show more content…
Christopher Coaster was an inmate who died in solitary confinement at the Thunder Bay Jail in 2008. Coaster had broken his bail agreement by drinking alcohol and was picked up by police. His breach of bail could be due to an interactionist theory called continuance commitment where a labelled deviant or criminal attempts to move past their deviant behaviours. Attempting to reduce the stigmatic reputation and pursue an alternative lifestyle is often too difficult so they revert back to a criminal lifestyle. Coaster might have had an addiction to alcohol or just enjoyed it too much to give it up for his bail …show more content…
It is noted on the second page of the article “that multiple coroner’s inquests have warned the government about unsafe conditions in Thunder Bay’s segregation cells and the state of general disrepair in the 90-year-old building” (White 2). One inmate died in 2003 by hanging himself from a metal bar in the cell so it was refitted with acrylic glass to prevent this causality in the future. This glass was provided very poor air circulation and temperature regulation that led to the suffocating environment and air quality. Many employees had made repeated complaints about air circulation, building stability, the holding cells and environment, and temperature regulation regarding not only their work environment but of the inmates as well. Some employees testified in court over these destitute working and living conditions. These reports were evidence of a harmful living environment, which can be attributed to Coaster’s
An analysis of the article reveals how the story was reported. This version was published in the Globe …show more content…
Christopher Coaster was an inmate who died in solitary confinement at the Thunder Bay Jail in 2008. Coaster had broken his bail agreement by drinking alcohol and was picked up by police. His breach of bail could be due to an interactionist theory called continuance commitment where a labelled deviant or criminal attempts to move past their deviant behaviours. Attempting to reduce the stigmatic reputation and pursue an alternative lifestyle is often too difficult so they revert back to a criminal lifestyle. Coaster might have had an addiction to alcohol or just enjoyed it too much to give it up for his bail …show more content…
It is noted on the second page of the article “that multiple coroner’s inquests have warned the government about unsafe conditions in Thunder Bay’s segregation cells and the state of general disrepair in the 90-year-old building” (White 2). One inmate died in 2003 by hanging himself from a metal bar in the cell so it was refitted with acrylic glass to prevent this causality in the future. This glass was provided very poor air circulation and temperature regulation that led to the suffocating environment and air quality. Many employees had made repeated complaints about air circulation, building stability, the holding cells and environment, and temperature regulation regarding not only their work environment but of the inmates as well. Some employees testified in court over these destitute working and living conditions. These reports were evidence of a harmful living environment, which can be attributed to Coaster’s