An inmate at William Head Institution in Metchosin who was serving a sentence for second-degree murder has died in custody, according to Correctional Service Canada.
Richard Paul Preston died at the institution on Sept. 2, and his next of kin have been notified.
When he died, he was serving an indeterminate sentence which started on April 28, 1994, for second-degree murder.
“As in all cases involving the death of an inmate, the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) will review the circumstances,” a release says. “CSC policy requires that the police and the coroner be notified.”
The CSC is working to reduce the number of deaths in custody. According to the service, between the 2011/2012 and 2015/2016 fiscal years, there were an average of 58 deaths in custody per year. Natural deaths accounted for more than half of all deaths, with suicide being the most common type of non-natural death.
Following a death in custody, police and coroners are always notified and if the death is of natural causes, a mortality review is conducted.
Laura Brougham
