…..THE DRUMS BEAT FOR JUSTICE!
Review “Soleiman Faqiri/Kenneth Lee” from March 10th with the letter to Michael Kerzner, Ontario’s Solicitor General.
An answer to that letter arrived in the second week of April from an assistant deputy minister. It’s reprinted unedited.
April 9, 2025
Dear Charles Klassen:
I am responding to your letter of March 9, 2025, addressed to the Honourable Michael Kerzner, Solicitor General, regarding the Coroner’s inquest in the death of Soleiman Faqiri.
As you know, coroner’s inquests are an opportunity to examine the circumstances of a specific death and potentially develop recommendations to prevent further deaths.
No one is on trial at an inquest and the jury cannot make findings of guilt or blame or imply responsibility on any person(s) or agency, organization or other entity. The inquest is intended to make the facts of a death public and to identify, if possible, how deaths might be prevented.
Additionally, inquest juries are prohibited from making any finding of legal responsibility or expressing any conclusion of law. Their role is not to assign blame, to free from blame, nor to state or imply any judgement in their recommendations concerning the death.
As you are aware, the inquest into the death of Soleiman Faqiri heard from 28 witnesses and examined 61 exhibits which informed their verdict. The 57 recommendations developed by the jury were thoughtful and reflected the facts and evidence presented during the 12 days of the inquest.
The Ministry of the Solicitor General continuously works to revise policies and procedures to align with the best evidence and practices. Inquest recommendations directed to the ministry are thoroughly reviewed and we respond to the Office of the Chief Coroner directly with the final response by the required date. Inquest recommendations remain one of the important mechanisms to enhance health and safety and help prevent further deaths in custody.
It may interest you to know that when allegations of serious misconduct/wrongdoing are made against correctional employees, volunteers or service providers, a full investigation is conducted by the Correctional Services Oversight and Investigations Branch. If the allegations are suspected to be of a criminal nature, it is the responsibility of the police to lay charges.
Further, it may also be of interest to know that the government is investing more than $500 million to modernize correctional services through new hires and infrastructure improvements. New hires include social workers, nurse practitioners, mental health nurses and addictions counsellors, as well as other staff that will help support individuals with mental health and addiction issues.
There is a long history of positive changes that have improved public safety for Ontarians as a result of inquest recommendations. These include changes in areas such as hospital procedures, surgical protocols, road safety, how police and the courts handle incidents of domestic violence, changes to legislation relating to child and family services, pool safety, the medical treatment of patients in psychiatric facilities, and workplace safety.
Thank you for expressing your concerns about this matter.
Sincerely,
Daryl Pitfield,
Assistant Deputy Minister
Institutional Services.
Copy to Michael Kerzner.
There’s a lot of content here, but is it substantively relevant?
It deserved a reply.
May 2, 2025
Daryl Pitfield, Assistant Deputy Minister,
Institutional Services,
Toronto, ON M7A 1Y6
Re: Your 132-2025-974
Soleiman is not going away
Dear Deputy Minister Pitfield:
Thank you for your April 9th response to my letter of March 9th to Minister Kerzner concerning the Faqiri inquest. I appreciate your time in detailing information, and grant you speak for the minister and the ministry.
I’m familiar with the facts, data, and particulars you provided. Canada’s carceral industries have been in my ballpark for decades. Unfortunate but not unexpected was your sidestepping the relevant points I raised on March 9.
You did not address the two jury recommendations of import: namely, the appropriate placement of persons with mental health issues, and the matter of third-party oversight of jail operations.
Why there were guards in Soleiman’s cell is at the core of the circumstances that led to his death. The 28 inquest witnesses did not include John Thibeault, the only civilian eyewitness, but then he was an inmate whose credibility was easily dismissed. None of the CO’s who had their hands on Soleiman testified either.
I know why they were there, you know why they were there, the minister knows why they were there, as do thousands in the community. All the same, the question cannot be asked. Staff cannot be placed under oath. Pandora’s Box cannot be opened.
The government dodged a bullet. Too bad for accountability. Too bad for Soleiman.
Nonetheless, your letter was a welcome ministry perspective.
You have my best wishes.
Charles H. Klassen
cc: Michael Kerzner
Every day in provincial jails, guards gather in an inmate’s cell where there is no audio/visual coverage. Perhaps they’re having a union meeting. Maybe they’re looking at the inmate’s stamp collection.
What do you think?
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