Coroner's inquest ordered in death of inmate at Madawaska jail

A coroner's inquest has been ordered intothe death of an inmate atthe Madawaska Regional Correctional Centre last weekend.

Wesley Robert Geneau, 40, wasfound unresponsive on the morning of Feb. 6, the Department of Justice and Public Safety has said.

Staff administered first aid, and Geneauwas transported to the Edmundston Regional Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Neither foul play nor self-harm are suspected.

A coroner andjury will publicly hear evidence from subpoenaed witnesses to determine the facts surrounding Geneau's death,acting chief coroner Michael Johnston announced Friday.

"While most deaths of people in custody do lead to an inquest, an inquest is not mandatory by law in such cases," Department of Justice and Public Safety spokesperson Geoffrey Downey said in an emailed statement.

The jury will have an opportunity to make recommendations to prevent similar deaths. An inquest does not make any findings of legal responsibility.

The date, location and presiding coroner are yet to be determined, according to a news release.

This is the second coroner's inquest ordered into the death of an inmate in custody in a provincial jail in just over a week.

On Feb. 2, Johnston announced an inquestinto the death ofSkyler Sappier, 28,a member of the Neqotkuk First Nation, formerly known as Tobique First Nation.

Sappier was serving a sentence at the Saint John Regional Correctional Centre when he died in hospital Jan. 31.

He was sick with COVID-19, according to his family.

The Department of Justice and Public Safety has previously said neither "foul play nor self-harm" are suspected in the death ofGeneau, who had been in custody since Aug. 30 and serving a221-day sentence since Dec. 6.

No details about the charge or charges for which he was convicted have been released. His earliest release date would have beenMay 15.