Sask. prisoner advocacy group brings awareness for people who died in police custody

Beyond Prison Walls Canada Society held a rally outside of the Saskatchewan Legislative building on Aug. 10, 2025. (Sierra D'Souza Butts/CTV News)

A prisoner advocacy group was hard at work Sunday, recognizing those who have lost their lives in prison and in police custody during a rally held at the Saskatchewan Legislative building.

“We do know that a lot of these people have victims for their crimes. We’re not glorifying their crimes in any way, we’re just remembering the lives that were lost and trying to just bring awareness to people that [have] died in custody,” shared Sherri Gordon of Beyond Prison Walls Canada Society.

The initiative started back in 1974 in Millhaven, Ont., when inmate Edward Nalon took his own life after a series of frustrations and mistreatment while in prison.

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Since 2002, the group said over one hundred people have died while incarcerated in Saskatchewan.

To acknowledge their passing, green and red ribbons were tied to a garden fence with the inmates’ names and ages.

“A lot of the times when we have these deaths in custody, there’s inquests for them and there’s recommendations made, but they’re not following those recommendations,” Gordon said.

“We do think it’s important to just remember them and bring awareness to that issue. There’s one person on the Justice Tracking List that they died in federal custody and the family had to pay to bring the body.”

Beyond Prison Walls Canada Society provides supports to inmates and their families.