The dates have been set for a public inquest into the death of an inmate at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre.
In a media release Friday, the Ministry of Justice said Vance Bellegarde was found unresponsive in his cell on Aug. 6, 2020. Staff and paramedics tried to resuscitate the 39-year-old man, but those attempts failed and he was pronounced dead.
The inquest is to be held Feb. 6-10 at the Holiday Inn and Suites in Regina.
The Coroners Act says an inquest must be held if a person dies while an inmate at a jail or a correctional facility, unless the coroner is satisfied the death was due to natural causes and couldn’t have been prevented.
“The Saskatchewan Coroners Service is responsible for the investigation of all sudden, unexpected deaths,” the release said. “The purpose of an inquest is to establish who died, when and where that person died and the medical cause and manner of death. The coroner’s jury may make recommendations to prevent similar deaths.”