Gregory Merriman's Death in Prison: Family Seeks Justice

0:00Sydney's story is making news on March 6th. A 58-year-old UN man named Gregory Merrimon died from a heart attack in his lock cell at Silverwater Prison on December 27, 2022. An inquest wrapped up last Friday with deputy coroner Harriet Graham ruling he passed away while lawfully detained. Officers had deployed potent CS gas in his wing to break up a fight among other inmates, but Merrimon was not involved. The gas affected the whole area, he had no one checked on him right away, or offered medical help or decontamination. Merrimon had heart issues common in his family, and his brother believes the gas played a role in triggering the attack. He died alone, without immediate aid. His family feels justice won't come, though they hope the finding spark real changes in prisons. Uncle Mark Merrimon called his brother a peacemaker, tutor, and friend who was highly respected inside, even serving as the quarry delegate. The family honors his memory through ceremonies and pushes for an end to black deaths in custody.

1:02The coroner recommended corrective services update their forced procedures, especially for gas deployment, to ensure affected inmates get quick medical. Care and proper cleanup. She highlighted Merrimon's tough life, including being removed from family under old protection laws and facing lifelong trauma. Meanwhile, he's one of over 600 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people who've died in custody since the 1991 Royal Commission. With indigenous prisoner numbers of nearly 19% in five years, and many are remand, advocates like the Aboriginal Legal Service Demand, Urgent System Reviews to prevent repeats. The Daily News Now is grateful to our sponsor for today's episode, Headphones in a Pillow, Simple Idea, Surprisingly Addictive, S-O-L-I-SoliPillow.com