Family members of inmates who died at EMDC finally had their voices heard over the weekend. Relatives of six former prisoners and lawyer Kevin Egan met face to face with the jail’s community advisory board Saturday.
“It was nice to get a preliminary meeting,” says Egan. “It was also an opportunity for the families to air their grievances and discuss their displeasure with the lack of information about the death of their relatives”.
While the meeting was scheduled to discuss a permanent memorial outside the Exeter Road facility, it quickly turned to a discussion about changes to the institution.
It “started because my brother was seeking changes,” says Lynn Pigeau, whose brother Jamie died of an apparent overdose in 2018. ”He wanted to make changes [to] how inmates were treated. We picked up his cause when he passed away."
She adds a monument would be great, but their goal is to “make changes.”
Monday, the families were back in London at the courthouse attending the trial of two former correctional officers who are charged in the 2013 death of former inmate Adam Kargus.
“Jamie was a good friend of Adam. We want to be here here for Adam's family,” adds Pigeau.
“We also get to hear what's going on inside the jail. My brother suffered night terrors because of this because he was on that range when it happened...It also gives us insight into what Jamie and Adam went through and focus on what needs [to be] changed."
