Inquest into Christopher Taniskishayinew’s death to begin in March

A public inquest into the death of an inmate at the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre has been scheduled for next month.

According to Saskatchewan’s Ministry of Justice, Christopher Taniskishayinew, 39, was found unresponsive in his cell at the Regina jail on Aug. 16, 2020. First aid attempts were unsuccessful, the ministry said, and he was pronounced dead.

A public inquest into Taniskishayinew’s death is scheduled to begin March 20 and run until March 24, the ministry said, with coroner Timothy Hawryluk presiding.

Under the Coroners Act, Saskatchewan’s chief coroner is obligated to hold a public inquest whenever an inmate dies “unless the coroner is satisfied that the person’s death was due entirely to natural causes and was not preventable.”

The purpose of the inquest is to establish the cause and circumstances around the death, the ministry said, and the coroner’s jury can also make recommendations aimed at preventing similar deaths in the future.