Zakery Rogers died on Jan. 31, 2021 while incarcerated at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre. He was 26, had three children, and struggled with mental health issues, opioid dependence, homelessness and suicidal thoughts. He had been prescribed multiple psychiatric medications and methadone but lacked prescriptions or medication supplies after bail on Christmas Eve 2020. Kylee Rogers bailed him out but lost confidence as his condition worsened and he fled before police could return him to custody. Police later arrested him and took him to hospital for cough, abdominal pain and chills. An inquest concluded by video conference produced a jury with multiple recommendations.
The inquest for Zakery Rogers is over, and while his sister is relieved their family has answers to many questions after his death five years ago in a Hamilton jail cell, she says they still want accountability for the "domino effect" of failures he faced. In a recent interview with CBC Hamilton, Kylee Rogers said she told the inquest she didn't hear "an ounce of accountability from anyone."
She also said it remains to be seen if the jury's many recommendations to prevent similar deaths will be implemented. "I feel like we won the battle but the war rages on," Kylee said, noting poor mental health and addiction continue to be "huge problems" in the community. An agreed statement of facts for the inquest, which was conducted by video conference and wrapped up Friday after several days, said Zakery died while incarcerated at the Hamilton-Wentworth Detention Centre on Jan. 31, 2021.
The 26-year-old had three children and was a brother and uncle. Zakery, who was in and out of jail, had mental health conditions and was dependent on opiates. He also experienced homelessness and suicidal thoughts. On Christmas Eve 2020, Kylee bailed Zakery out of the Maplehurst Correctional Complex in Milton, Ont., where he had been in custody while awaiting trial for charges of robbery, theft and weapons-related offences since March that year.
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