Pubdate: Wed, 12 Nov 2008
Source: Lethbridge Herald (CN AB)
Copyright: 2008 The Lethbridge Herald
Contact:  http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/239
Author: Pamela Roth
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/prison.htm (Incarceration)
Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?136 (Methadone)

NEW METHADONE PROCEDURES IN PLACE, INQUIRY TOLD

How could the death of a 26-year-old prisoner, who took a lethal dose 
of methadone that had been smuggled out of the jail health unit, have 
been prevented?

That's one of the many questions a provincial court judge will ponder 
after the one-day fatality inquiry into the death of Dennis Allan 
Karey, who was found unresponsive by his cellmate at the Lethbridge 
Correctional Centre on the morning of April 30, 2005.

The court heard Wednesday from several witnesses who were working at 
the facility on the day in question.

During the hourly routine checks conducted by staff the previous 
night, everything appeared to be normal in cell 29 in Unit 6. Andre 
Carrier was working as a human resource worker when he let prisoner 
Jeffrey Arishenkoff out of his cell in the morning to receive his 
daily dose of methadone.

Arishenkoff was one of three inmates taking the synthetic narcotic 
used to treat addiction to drugs such as heroin, morphine and 
codeine, by suppressing withdrawal symptoms and reducing cravings. 
The liquid drug slows down the central nervous system and can be 
fatal to a person who takes it that doesn't have an addiction to 
drugs containing opium.

According to Carrier, when Arishenkoff returned to his cell he began 
yelling seconds later that his cellmate was cold and blue.

When Carrier went to check on the situation himself, he saw Karey 
lying on his stomach with his blue face tilted towards the door, 
prompting him to contact the jail health unit. It was too late, 
however, and Karey was pronounced dead at the scene.

Nearly two years later, Arishenkoff pleaded guilty to manslaughter 
and was sentenced to three years behind bars. It was soon learned 
that on at least one occasion Arishenkoff had hidden a small cup in 
his overalls when he went to retrieve his dose from the prison health 
unit. He created a distraction by dropping the lid of the methadone 
container and while bending down to pick it up, poured some of the 
drug into the cup without a nurse seeing him do so.

Inmates told investigators the night before Karey died he looked 
tired, had a red, blotchy face and appeared to be "under the 
influence of something."

Shortly after Karey's death, procedures as to how inmates receive 
their methadone treatment were changed at the local facility to 
prevent inmates from smuggling the drug out of the jail health unit. 
Now an inmate is accompanied by an officer to the health unit and is 
patted down before taking the methadone. The inmate is watched 
consuming the drug, patted down again, then placed alone in a dry 
cell and observed for 30 minutes before being patted down again and 
taken back to their cell.

Even though there hasn't been any problems since the new procedures 
were put into place, a common theme emerged from the two nurses 
working at the health unit who took the stand - banning the methadone 
treatment program from prisons altogether to prevent such incidents 
from ever happening in the first place.

"It's a heavy duty medication we would prefer not to give," said 
Elsie Friesen, a nurse at the health unit, who noted there are 
inconsistencies among corrections centres on how the drug is given. 
"We help the inmates with withdrawal from other medications and alcohol."

The concentration of a 120-millilitre bottle of methadone varies 
among inmates. Most concentrations are from 80 to 140 milligrams with 
some cases as high as 250 milligrams. Arishenkoff was on 190 
milligrams - one of the highest dosages given at the facility.

Nurses at the health unit are not allowed to prescribe the drug, but 
rather continue the treatment to inmates who already have 
prescriptions from outside of jail.

Public fatality inquires establish the cause, manner, time and other 
circumstances of death. They do not determine legal responsibility 
but may offer recommendations to prevent future deaths. A final 
report by the judge on the inquiry will be released at a later date.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom