Mental Handicaps and the Criminal Justice System
May 13, 2006 · By Peter Rempel
Nothing like a pack of blood-thirsty local yokels to illustrate one of the dirtiest little secrets of Canada’s criminal justice system: The hundreds if not thousands of people with mental handicaps, oftentimes severe, who are either sitting in prison (being punished) or cast out into society after a prison sentence without an iota of support:
“[He] has been diagnosed as being developmentally delayed and has the mentality of an adolescent,” O’Reilly read.
The family’s letter said the man cannot take care of himself and requires 24-hour care. As well, the family said they can no longer look after his needs.
…
“If they don’t get him out soon, I’m going to get him out,” neighbour Sean George said to a cheering crowd.
But don’t fret: I’m sure there’s a refrigerator box in downtown St. Johns just waiting for the guy to take up residence.
Now if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go listen to the Liberal leadership candidates tell me about how 12 years of Liberal rule has made Canada the most compassionate nation in the world.
one of the dirtiest little secrets of Canada’s criminal justice system: The hundreds if not thousands of people with mental handicaps, oftentimes severe, who are either sitting in prison (being punished) or cast out into society after a prison sentence without an iota of support:
Are you turning into a socialist, Rempel? So what do you think of this plan?
Good, but I don’t understand the logic behind taxing booze to help out special needs people. Why do we need a sin tax to help out people we have a responsibility for anyway?
Not a socialist, a conservative who takes noblesse oblige seriously.
Great post Peter. And that’s the worst thing about the Canadian left; they ignore human rights abuses right here in Canada. I guess the issues aren’t sexy or trendy enough:
“The superintendent of the Ottawa-Carleton Regional Detention Centre admitted in court Thursday that overcrowding has forced prisoners to sleep on jail cell floors and in showers on occasion.”
And most of these people haven’t even been convicted of a crime yet (!!!):
“About 75 per cent of prisoners in the jail are on remand and awaiting trial.”
http://www.cbc.ca/ottawa/story.....60427.html
Get that? a 15 minute drive from Parliament Hill we’ve got innocent men awaiting trial in conditions one judge described as so bad as to “bring the administration of justice into disrepute.”:
“The Superior Court judge made the comments when sentencing a man who had already spent 10 months in the East End facility, located a few miles from Parliament Hill. Instead of the two-for-one credit normally given by the court for time already served, Power found conditions so appalling he gave the inmate credit at a three-for-one rate.”
• The inmate who appeared before Power was denied a cane (deemed to be a potential weapon). Because he required the cane for support, he was forced to rely on help from other inmates to move around.
• The inmate’s mobility was so compromised that jail officials eventually transferred him to the facility’s hospital (against his wishes) because they feared he might be hurt, and the institution would be liable.
• Inmates are often denied daily exercise in the yard because the facility has too few guards to supervise them.
• The inmate in question was housed at one point with a paraplegic in a cell with only one bed - requiring that one of them sleep on a mattress on the floor.
• The inmate was also forced to eat all meals in his cell, and was issued clean clothes infrequently.
• Bed sheets were not changed for lengthy periods of time and showers were limited to twice a week.
http://www.nupge.ca/news_2004/n02se04b.htm
“The Charter of Rights and Freedoms say you’re supposed to have the right to retain and instruct counsel,” says Chris Kelly, president of the Renfrew County Law Association. “And you can’t do it if you take a guy from Barry’s Bay, put him in the OCDC, haul him to Pembroke in a meat truck and hold him in a crappy facility all day when he comes to court.
…
Probation officers have found they cannot get in to see offenders to prepare pre-sentence reports or deal with other matters. They can’t get in for the same reasons as lawyers: There are no interview rooms or too few guards to safely enter cells or to escort inmates to a meeting room.
One probation officer described the facility this way: “It’s in a real mess. The institution is going downhill on a steady level.”
The Ottawa Police Services Board blamed “significant overcrowding” in a recent report for increases in police overtime bills and prisoner transportation and meal costs. The Ottawa police are responsible for ferrying inmates to and from the courthouse, a procedure that should run on time and within normal working hours.”
http://www.prisonjustice.ca/st....._1104.html
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