Inmate death prompts lawsuit against Nova Scotia [Video]

HALIFAX –

Relatives of a 60-year-old man who took his own life in a Nova Scotia jail after long periods of confinement in his cell have launched a lawsuit against the province.

The wife and sons of Richard Douglas Murray are alleging in Nova Scotia Supreme Court that staff at the jail failed to monitor him properly and ensure he was spending a reasonable amount of time outside his cell.

The allegations, described in a Sept. 12 notice of action written by lawyer Devin Maxwell, have yet to be tested in court.

According to letters Murray sent from the jail to his wife, Mary Hendsbee, he seldom was able to leave his cell at the Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility due to staff shortages.

Murray’s letters describe conditions in the jail as “total cruelty.”

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According to an …