Retired judge says provincial justice system doesn’t provide enough support for people with FASD
A Canadian advocate for people with fetal alcohol spectrum disorder is calling for a public inquiry into a recent prison death.
“There needs to be accountability in the justice system,” said Michelle Stewart, a University of Regina associate professor who focuses on supporting people with FASD.
“When people are in custody, they experience a particular form of vulnerability and they can’t necessarily speak for themselves.”
Inuk Jonathan Henoche, 33, who died at Her Majesty’s Penitentiary on Nov. 6, had fetal alcohol spectrum disorder, said his lawyer, Bob Buckingham. The Labrador man was awaiting trial on a murder charge after Regula Schule was found dead in her burning home in Happy Valley-Goose Bay in 2016.
Newfoundland and Labrador should do more to support people with the condition, said Stewart.
If someone has a complex disability and they are sitting in a correctional facility, were their needs being met?– Michelle Stewart
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