The number of medically-assisted deaths in Canada's prisons a concern for some experts

Canada has performed nine medically assisted deaths among prisoners in the last seven years, more than any other country that tracks and records such data.

Canada has performed nine medically assisted deaths among prisoners in the last seven years, more than any other country that tracks and records such data.

The number of federal prisoners requesting medically assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada has also increased, with 27 asking for permission to die between June 2016, when the legislation came into effect, and March 31 this year, according to information provided by Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) following an Access to Information Act request.

Only three other countries -- Switzerland, Belgium and Spain -- have publicly acknowledged one euthanasia death each for a prisoner. Two of them were performed in February this year. The other was in 2022.

Jessica Shaw, an associate professor of social work at the University of Calgary who has been studying assisted death in prisons and submitted the access to information request, said she is worried about the lack of transparency in reporting cases and how decisions are made.

“Canada is the leading provider of assisted death for prisoners," she said. “It would appear to me that there's a very different process when it comes to people who are dying through assisted death in prison than it is for… the general population of Canada.”

According to the data, the number of inmates requesting MAID is up from five in 2018; however, the data is heavily redacted.

The document also shows that a third of all requests for MAID from prisoners are approved. The rate of approvals is significantly lower than the 81 per cent approval rate in the general population.