A block of cells at the Toronto West Detention Centre was evacuated Tuesday morning after one inmate was found dead and his cellmate was transported to hospital.
Guards at the centre said the second inmate was found with "little or no vital signs" when they found him during their morning rounds at 7:35 a.m.
A third person was also sharing the cell but he "appears to be okay," according to Tony Brown, spokesperson for the Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
There are reports the death and illness were caused by drugs but Brown would not confirm the suspicion. He would only say that there were "no signs of trauma" or "signs of physical violence."
Toronto police spent the morning at the scene investigating the incident.
Inmates staying at the detention centre have been remanded into custody and are awaiting trial or sentencing. Some of the inmates serve short sentences at the centre.
