British Columbia's premier says the ongoing toxic drug crisis in the province has led to a cohort of people with serious brain injuries who are too deep in their addiction and mental-health crisis to ask for help.
"And so, what happens is they continually cycle in and out of prisons, involvement in crime, and then back into prison and they don't get better. They just continually struggle and often then ultimately die," David Eby said Thursday as he announced the opening of a 10-unit facility in the Surrey Pretrial Centre that will treat people who meet that criteria, whether they want it or not.
Eby said the facility is the first of its kind in Canada and will provide involuntary care for those at the jail who are in a mental-health crisis with overlapping brain injuries and addiction concerns.
He said mental-health and addiction services are available at correctional facilities but normally require co-operation from the person, leaving judges questioning whether sending someone with complex needs to jail is the best option.
"It is my sincere hope that this facility, along with additional facilities that we are working on across the province, will provide the justice system, will provide individuals struggling in this way and communities, with the answer to that question," he said, while standing outside the jail.
"The health care will be available, the interventions will be available, and that we will be able to ensure safety for people who are sick and need our help, but also provide that safety and that reassurance to the broader community that we are intervening and making a difference."
Dr. Daniel Vigo, the province's chief scientific adviser for psychiatry, toxic drugs and concurrent disorders, told the news conference that prior to the beds opening, people who required involuntary care while in jail had to wait in segregation for weeks for a bed to be found.
He said they will now receive the level of psychiatric care they need from a dedicated team the moment they need it.
"This will result in the prevention of harms resulting from weeks of untreated agitation and psychosis. It will result in the implementation of a care plan sustained throughout their time in corrections and integrated with services in the community when correctional supervision ends," he said.
Eby estimated that more than 2,500 people in the province meet the criteria of struggling with mental health, addiction and brain injuries concurrently.
The government says the dedicated beds are currently available in a segregation unit at the remand facility, while renovations are being completed on a different living space.
Jennifer Duff, chief operating officer of BC Mental Health and Substance Use Services, said one person at the Surrey jail is being assessed to take a space at the centre and four others at different correctional facilities are being considered for transfer.
The province announced plans to open the secure facilities to provide involuntary care last September, and said an additional location would be coming to Maple Ridge for people not involved in the justice system.
The move has been criticized by drug policy advocates who said the shift toward involuntary treatment was a knee-jerk political reaction to try and offer a simple solution to a complex problem.
Eby said he understood why the change would make some people anxious given the negative legacy of institutional care in the province, including residential schools and forced sterilization.
He said the vast majority of people with addictions do not have to worry about being forced into treatment and that this type of care would "recognize the humanity and the dignity of each person that will receive treatment."
"Leaving individuals that die in a ditch, exploited by others with a serious brain injury and mental health issue to the point where they can't care for themselves, is not respectful of their rights, of their humanity. So, we're going to intervene," he said.
Surrey Mayor Brenda Locke said in a statement that the involuntary care beds are "a significant first step in addressing the complex issues these individuals face while prioritizing the safety of our community."
"Yet, this simply isn’t enough. The demand for mental-health and addiction services far outweighs available resources, and the complexities of these needs are becoming increasingly pronounced," she said.
"While this focus on specialized care for those in custody is crucial, we must also acknowledge and address the broader implications for our community, including the stark reality of addiction, mental health and homelessness."
The involuntary care issue came up in last October’s provincial election, when both Eby and B.C. Conservative Leader John Rustad promised some form of involuntary treatment.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published April 24, 2025.
Ashley Joannou and Nono Shen, The Canadian Press
