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[Walpurgis]

A 34-year-old federal prisoner diagnosed with anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder is at the centre of a class-action lawsuit that alleges Canada’s use of solitary confinement and lack of timely access to prescription drugs violate the rights of the mentally ill.

Christopher Brazeau, who is serving 12 years for robbery and other crimes at Edmonton Institution, has been locked up in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day for as long as a year at a time, and has gone long periods without his prescription medications for emotional problems, according to a statement of claim filed in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice on Friday.

James Sayce, a Toronto lawyer involved in the claim, says he expects many of the 15,000 inmates of the federal prison system to join the lawsuit.

The government remains staunchly behind the use of solitary confinement, which it calls administrative segregation. Nearly half of all current inmates have spent time in segregation, and Howard Sapers, a prisoners’ ombudsman, has said the practice is out of control. It was the focus of a coroner’s inquest into the self-inflicted strangulation death in 2007 of Ashley Smith, a mentally ill teenager who had been in solitary for more than 1,000 days. A Globe and Mail report last year detailed how another inmate, Eddie Snowshoe, killed himself after 162 days in solitary. Rights groups launched a separate legal challenge of the practice in British Columbia in January.

The statement of claim alleges federal prisons are “becoming Canada’s largest repositories for the mentally ill,” but the correctional service’s policies deny doctors the autonomy to exercise their clinical judgment in how to care for those prisoners. For instance, when prisoners are transferred between federal prisons, their condition needs to be reassessed, and so they are denied prescription medication for “an extended period” (the claim does not say how long) while waiting. Even when being transferred from a psychiatric hospital back to a prison, their medication is cut off, undermining the positive effects of the treatment they received. Also, the lawsuit says it takes too long for prisoners to receive prescribed medications.

The claim says extended solitary confinement can cause paranoia, psychosis, a worsening of existing psychological conditions and self-harm and suicide. “These effects frustrate the rehabilitative function of incarceration on mentally ill prisoners.” Mr. Brazeau has had depression, suicidal thoughts and hallucinations while in solitary confinement, the claim says.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news...inement-class-action-lawsuit/article25570770/
They are asking for $600 million.

I can't believe this savagery. I didn't even know this sort of thing happened in Canada. I guess this is what the Conservatives mean when they say "tough on crime". The UN needs to get involved; these are crimes against humanity.

 

[Uhyve]

Good. I hope prisoners in the US/EU follow suit. It's a barbaric practice.

 

[Wiktor]

Not sure how I feel about this. I mean...it is sometimes necessary to put people in solitary confinement, so I wouldn't want to see it banned, but on the other hand it's been widely misused for people that really didn't need to be confined.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Not sure how I feel about this. I mean...it is sometimes necessary to put people in solitary confinement, so I wouldn't want to see it banned, but on the other hand it's been widely misused for people that really didn't need to be confined.

Maybe this will clear things up for you.

It's past midnight. From now until you are ready to go to sleep tonight... go sit in a closet. No radio, no books, no phone, nothing to occupy your time except your thoughts and silence. no people to socialize with. No external stimuli.

You can bring a sandwich for food, water bottles, and some empty bottles to do your business in. That's it.


Now, imagine doing that for weeks, months, or years.

 

[Freshmaker]

Not sure how I feel about this. I mean...it is sometimes necessary to put people in solitary confinement, so I wouldn't want to see it banned...

For a year straight?

 

[Wiktor]

Maybe this will clear things up for you.

It's past midnight. From now until you are ready to go to sleep tonight... go sit in a closet. No radio, no books, no phone, nothing to occupy your time except your thoughts and silence.

You can bring a sandwich for food, water bottles, and some empty bottles to do your business in. That's it.

Now, imagine doing that for weeks, months, or years.

Now imagine you have a family member doing time for some small thing and he gets murdered inside prison by somebody who should have been in solitary confinement, because he's constant danger to other innamates, but instead wasn't because it's inhumane.

Some people need to be put into solitary confinement, either because they pose a danger to others or because they themselves are in danger.
This is obviously a tool that really should be used only in the extremely rare cases, while it clearly isn't. And the conditions inside such cell should be greatly improved. But to completely ban option of isolating specific inmates from general prison population doesn't seem like a wise move.

 

[IdreamofHIME]

Now imagine you have a family member doing time for some small thing and he gets murdered inside prison by somebody who should have been in solitary confinement, because he's constant danger to other innamates, but instead wasn't because it's inhumane.

Some people need to be put into solitary confinement, either because they pose a danger to others or because they themselves are in danger.
This is obviously a tool that really should be used only in the extremely rare cases, while it clearly isn't. And the conditions inside such cell should be greatly improved. But to completely ban option of isolating specific inmates from general prison population doesn't seem like a wise move.

Someone who's a danger to others shouldn't be locked in a small space with nothing to do but go more crazy.
They should be put in space away from others, but still have the same amenities and cell space as other prisoners plus extra access to psych care.

 

[Alcoremortis]

I can't imagine what solitary must be like. I hate even just going home to an empty apartment at night.

 

[Princess Carl]

Now imagine you have a family member doing time for some small thing and he gets murdered inside prison by somebody who should have been in solitary confinement, because he's constant danger to other innamates, but instead wasn't because it's inhumane.

Some people need to be put into solitary confinement, either because they pose a danger to others or because they themselves are in danger.
This is obviously a tool that really should be used only in the extremely rare cases, while it clearly isn't. And the conditions inside such cell should be greatly improved. But to completely ban option of isolating specific inmates from general prison population doesn't seem like a wise move.

You're appeal to emotion is like you in this thread, fucking mental.

 

[C4Lukins]

So what are the "Other Crimes?"

 

[Wiktor]

Someone who's a danger to others shouldn't be locked in a small space with nothing to do but go more crazy.
They should be put in space away from others, but still have the same amenities and cell space as other prisoners plus extra access to psych care.

Oh, sure. I already wrote that the conditions should be greatly improved. The problem is that solitary is a tool meant to protect lives and healths of inmates. But instead in USA it's mostly used as a form of punishment or because it's more convienient (like with people with serious mental problems that would otherwise require much more care).


If you look at country like Norway. Brevik is in solitary. But his solitaty confinement is three rooms cell, with private gym, high levels of comfort and computer. He even managed to enroll into university classes. And even with all that the prison staff hopes to eventually move him into general population when they will be able to safely assume he won't be a risk to others.

I'm not defending the solitary as it exists in USA. I just don't think that completely removing isolation option is a good idea.

 

[Jpop]

Oh, sure. I already wrote that the conditions should be greatly improved. The problem is that solitary is a tool meant to protect lives and healths of inmates. But instead in USA it's mostly used as a form of punishment or because it's more convienient (like with people with serious mental problems that would otherwise require much more care).


If you look at country like Norway. Brevik is in solitary. But his solitaty confinement is three rooms cell, with private gym, high levels of comfort and computer. He even managed to enroll into university classes. And even with all that the prison staff hopes to eventually move him into general population when they will be able to safely assume he won't be a risk to others.

I'm not defending the solitary as it exists in USA. I just don't think that completely removing isolation option is a good idea.

You know it wouldn't be in issue if we treated prison as reforms and didn't lock people up for petty crime. A lot of prison violence stems from the culture that exists in it, at least in NA. Treat people as less then people and they will begin to act how they are treated.

Also if we didn't hand out long sentencing like candy.

 

[Wiktor]

You know it wouldn't be in issue if we treated prison as reforms and didn't lock people up for petty crime. A lot of prison violence stems from the culture that exists in it, at least in NA. Treat people as less then people and they will begin to act how they are treated.

Also if we didn't hand out long sentencing like candy.

Yeah. When I've heard that almost 1% of american population is in prisons of various sorts it felt like fake number. How is that even possible? And how the hell is anyone thinking you can provide proper conditions and opportunity for resocializations with such hordes of prisoners.

 

[GaimeGuy]

Yeah. When I've heard that almost 1% of american population is in prisons of various sorts it felt like fake number. How is that even possible? And how the hell is anyone thinking you can provide proper conditions and opportunity for resocializations with such hordes of prisoners.

Gotta be tough on crime!!!

 

[Foffy]

Maybe this will clear things up for you.

It's past midnight. From now until you are ready to go to sleep tonight... go sit in a closet. No radio, no books, no phone, nothing to occupy your time except your thoughts and silence. no people to socialize with. No external stimuli.

You can bring a sandwich for food, water bottles, and some empty bottles to do your business in. That's it.


Now, imagine doing that for weeks, months, or years.

One can do this. The problem is that those who do it, do it by choice by withdrawing and being contemplatives with their lives and time. Who in the world would have that view by being a prisoner, other than learning it there?

 

[maquiladora]

Solitary should only be used when a prisoner poses a severe risk to the life of other inmates.

 

[DonEscobar]

Solitary Confinement is only detrimental to those who have health/mental problems.

I've been in the hole before. No clocks, guards won't tell the time, no windows, request shower every Tuesday and Sunday max 10 mins. I enjoyed it after a while because it taught me that time is an abstract concept to nature.

BUT, every 'Correctional' Facility is different. Some are worse than others. The practice itself though IS necessary.

 

[Walpurgis]

So what are the "Other Crimes?"

They are probably insignificant compared to robbery.

Solitary Confinement is only detrimental to those who have health/mental problems.

I've been in the hole before. No clocks, guards won't tell the time, no windows, request shower every Tuesday and Sunday max 10 mins. I enjoyed it after a while because it taught me that time is an abstract concept to nature.

BUT, every 'Correctional' Facility is different. Some are worse than others. The practice itself though IS necessary.

I agree that separating violent inmates from the general population is necessary but not like this.

However, we are talking about mentally ill people, not people like you and I. One of them was a teenage girl and they had her locked in a closet for more than 3 years straight. These are human beings, not livestock.

I strongly believe that (sane) inmates behave badly because they are treated badly. If I were locked up like for 3 years, god knows what I would do to the guards or random prisoners when I get out.

This is a solitary confinement cell in the Kingston Penitentiary (closed two years ago) located in Kingston, Ontario. Now imagine living there for 3 years. Maybe you'll go in for shanking a fellow prisoner and after 3 years, you'll be a cannibal with a leprechaun telling you to burn everything to the ground.

Here is a"segregation cell" from the same prison.

Is this really the best way to separate violent inmates from the general population? Is there really no alternative?

I see this as punishment that does not rehabilitate inmates (which is should be the goal of solitary) but makes them even worse.

These are images of Norwegian solitary confinement cells. Canada needs to take some notes.