The department of justice says inmate Denecho King escaped the North Slave Correctional Centre during an event for inmates.
While officials wouldn’t clarify what the event was, they say such gatherings are often held.
“The facility routinely organizes events for inmates, and this happened during one of those events,” said Chris Comeau, an official with the justice department.
King, who escaped custody on August 10, was the first inmate to escape from the North Slave Correctional Centre since it was built in 2004, according to the justice department.
Comeau said the government’s critical incident review, which should be released by mid-September, has also determined that the jail was built with a “design flaw”.
“What we know from the initial finding of the critical incident review is that when the building was constructed there was a design flaw,” said Comeau. “Mr. King exploited this to his advantage to escape custody.”
Comeau wouldn’t elaborate on the specific design flaw until the investigation is complete, but the area has been closed to inmates until approved barriers are erected.
The Moose has also learned that the jail was fully staffed on the morning of King’s escape.
“We were at full complement when the escape happened,” said Comeau.
The jail employs 102 people, 67 of which are correctional officers. Staffing levels haven’t changed in the last year.
The correctional centre provides custody and supervision for adult male offenders, ranging from minimum to maximum security.
