Jury offers suicide prevention measures in N.B. correctional facilities after inmate death

The Dalhousie Regional Correctional Centre is pictured. (Source: Google Maps)

A coroner’s inquest has produced recommendations to improve suicide prevention measures in N.B. health care and correctional settings.

The inquest was held into the death of Jean-Martin Couture, a Dalhousie Regional Correctional Centre inmate who was found unresponsive in his cell and later pronounced dead on Sept. 25, 2025.

A five-member jury heard from 11 witnesses this week, according to a news release from the province on Tuesday.

They ultimately found Couture’s death was a result of suicide and made recommendations aimed at prevention.

The jury suggests Vitalité Health Network, the regional health authority for southeastern New Brunswick, expand its suicide risk assessment document within the next three months.

They say the authority should also conduct a new suicide risk assessment after transfers between units, or other events that could increase risk of suicide.

Another recommendation aimed at the Dalhousie Regional Correctional Centre suggests they replace any grab bars in high-risk areas with anti-suicide grab bars within the next six months.

The chief coroner will forward the recommendations to the appropriate agencies, and the response will be included in the chief’s annual report for 2026.

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