Why are so many federal inmates dying shortly before their release date? – CBC

Defence lawyer says release dates can act as catalyst for already extenuating circumstances

Jul 21, 2025

Kendal Lee Campeau spent most of his life in and out of prison. The last time he went in, he never came out.

He was serving a seven-year sentence for assault, escaping lawful custody and possession of illicit substances, among other charges. In 2021, less than two years from his statutory release date, the 31-year-old died of a methadone overdose.

Campeau died at Pacific Institution’s Regional Treatment Centre (RTC) in B.C., a specialized prison for inmates with mental health issues. Prior to this, he had been transferred from Saskatchewan Penitentiary’s RTC to Kent Institution in Agassiz, B.C.

“Kendal was a very wild child, he got into a lot of trouble with the law,” Campeau’s sister, Ashley Fontaine, recently told CBC News, while sitting on her plant-filled deck in Garson, Man.

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/federal-prison-inmates-death-1.7588429