CELL COUNT FREE - FOR PRISONERS, EX-PRISONERS & THEIR FAMILIES

Setting of a precedent:
FALL 2018 - ISSUE #86
Art by Jeremy Hall

The importance of art and safer

tattooing within prison
By Sena Hussain as told to by T. Felfoldi
Over the years I have been asked many times
about my involvement in the tattoo campaign,
“Whether or not it was worth it considering all factors
of events.” This is not a simple question. There are
many factors and events that lead to and transpired
over the tattoo campaign, such as: charges, fines, lost,
damaged or confiscated personal property, segrega-
tion placements, involuntary transfers, longer incar-
ceration due to negative reports being written, even
the loss/death of many friends. This is just to name a
few consequences I endured. I will address two main
factors for my reasoning for involvement in the tattoo
campaign.
To understand the importance of art and safer
tattooing within prison, I offer my opinion and view
point on two fronts: first, as an artist with a learning
disability (dyslexia) and secondly, as one of the (5)
guys that put in the tattoo pilot project proposal at
Joyceville institution (1997). This very proposal was
instrumental in creating policies and reports for a
strategy for safer tattooing in Canadian prisons. The
other people involved were my friends: Laurence,
Kenny, Dave, and Willy.
EXPRESSING ONESELF: is a form of communication
and is a vital component to being human. We express
ourselves in order to grow and learn, to grieve, share
joy, show love or discontentment. lt can help us
resolve personal issues, the reasonings go on and
on. There are many ways people express themselves.
Some people write poems, stories, and make music.
Some people take up acting or directing, others play
sports. Some even construct projects from their
hands. I was never into many of the traditional ways
to communicate given my deficit in the literacy world.
I was made to feel like an outcast due to it.
PERSONALLY: For as long as I can remember I
would draw images in replacement for words I could
not spell. While in grade 5, I was diagnosed with a
learning disability (Dyslexia). Dyslexia is a disorder
that makes it difficult to read and write. Art was/is an
important means for me to communicate; it was an
outlet for my thoughts and feelings over the years.
I was an introverted person due to the abuses and
ridicule I went through over my disability and other
factors as a child. It was the only outlet I had, other
than lashing out in anger towards others.
When I was 16/17, I committed a series of offences,
I was arrested and ended up being transferred to the
adult system after my sentencing. At the age of 18, I
was placed in Millhaven institution (the Haven) and
while I was to start serving my life sentence I tried to
learn how to read and write better. I made little gains
with the help of a tutor and support of my friends and
family.
Meanwhile, I also focused my talents of drawing
into learning how to tattoo. I needed a way to express
myself (communicate) my life struggles and the effects
my actions had on others’ lives as well as my own. I
had three reasons for this, one: to work through past
traumas and events in my life, two: to communicate a
deeper understanding of events then I could artic-
ulate in written format, and three: as a reminder to
myself. I was going to document my story. My skin
was my book and I did not wish to pay others to tell,
write or draw it. (Tattoo me) I had real trust issues and
was a very angry/broken kid still, so it was a personal
process I needed to do on my own in order to grow as
a person.
As I transferred my skills in art from paper to skin,
it became apparent quite quickly that I surpassed
some of the older prison tattooists that had been tat-
tooing for years. My style, attention to detail, thought/
symbolism, even placement of tattoos was on another
level than most had seen. I was free handing my work
as well (without stencils). I did not do tattoos simply
because “it was cool” or “the in thing to do.” I was
Continued on page 11

INSIDE 2 3-4 5-7 15 16

THE NEWS
8-11 12-14 HEALTH & RESOURCES
BULLETIN FROM WRITINGS
FALL BOARD INSIDE
ON THE ON THE ART HARM
REDUCTION
& ABOUT
PASAN
BLOCK WALL
ISSUE
2 // bulletin board
Land Acknowledgment
PASAN's office, where we publish Cell
Count, is on the historical territory of the
Huron-Wendat, Petun, Seneca and, most
recently, the Mississaugas of the New Credit
Indigenous peoples. This territory is covered
by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt
Covenant, an agreement between the Haude-
nosaunee and the Ojibwe and allied nations
to peaceably share and care for the lands
and resources around the Great Lakes.
HIV+ Client Services
In order to be a client & access these services
you need to have confirmed HIV+ status and
be a prisoner or ex-prisoner (all times Eastern
Standard time)
• Phone Hours: Mon – Fri from 9-5, except
Tuesday mornings
• Workshops and Programming - Scheduled
usually on Mondays or Thursdays, give us a
call or check out our website for a complete
list of events we have scheduled.
• ID Clinic – 1st & 3rd Thursday 1:00-2:00 every
month - for everyone.
• Release Funds - $50 (twice a year max)
• TTC Tokens – 2 each for clients who attend
workshops
• Harm Reduction Materials – Mon – Fri from
9-5, except Tuesday AM (Safer-Crack-Use-
Kits, Safer-Needle-Use-Kits, Piercing Needles,
Condoms, etc.) - for everyone.
Sometimes we and the phones are very busy so
please keep trying!
About Cell Count
PASAN publishes ‘Cell Count’, a minimum of
4 issues per year. We are based in Toronto on
the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of
New Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee,
the Huron-Wendat and home to many diverse
Indigenous peoples. It is sent out for FREE to
Clients & Prisoners in Canada. If you are on
the outside or part of an organization, please
consider a donation @ $20 per year. We are
proud to release our 86th issue to you. We are
also grateful for all the wonderful feedback we
have been receiving from our readers, and en-
courage you to keep putting your two cents in.
Our goal is to have most of our content written
and produced by prisoners and ex-prisoners, so
we highly encourage you to get in touch with
us if you're interested in being part of the Cell
Count team.
Publisher: PASAN
526 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1R3
Circulation: 700+ - Recirculation: ???
All original artwork, poems and writings are the
sole/soul property of the artist and author.
Fair Dealing in the Canadian Copyright Act:
Sections 29, 29.1, 29.2: “Fair dealing for the
purpose of research, private study, education,
parody, satire, criticism, review, and news re-
porting does not infringe copyright.”
A Note about Pen Pals:
We've received a lot of calls and letters asking
about Pen Pals, and it's been difficult delivering
the sad news that we no longer have the ca-
pacity or funds to run it anymore. We know it's
been a really important piece of Cell Count, and
that it has led to some amazing connections
for our readers in the past. We really wish we
could continue it, but due to a lack of resources
it is no longer possible for us. We will continue
to keep a running list of alternative places you
can send your ads and photos, although some
come with a cost. We cannot personally vouch
for these options, so please use them at your
own discretion:
Canadian Inmates Connect: Currently, there is
a $35/year subscription. Your ad will be placed
on a website, and people with internet access
browse through to decide who to connect with.
A point of caution: you are asked to say what
you have been convicted for, and your full
name will be published online. Melissa is the
person to contact for more information. Write
or call her at: Canadian Inmates Connect Inc.
3085 Kingston Rd, Suite 267, Toronto, Ontario,
M1M 1P1 - (647) 344-3404
Black and Pink: Specifically for queer and trans
prisoners. They are based in the United States,
it does not cost anything to be part of the list,
and you don't have to tell them your convic-
tion. Here is how to reach them: Black and Pink
National Office, 614 Columbia Rd, Dorchester,
MA 02125
617.519.4387
Prison Fellowship Canada: This is a faith-
based, Christian organization that connects
prisoners with volunteers of either the same
gender, or where there is a 15-20 year age
difference. The point is for you to have an
outlet to express yourself to someone who will
listen. If you are of the Christian faith, this may
be a great option for you. You can reach them
for more info at: Prison Fellowship Canada -
National Office, 5945 Airport Road, Suite 144,
Mississauga, ON L4V 1R9
905.673.5867
Prisoner Correspondence Project: "..a sol-
idarity project for gay, lesbian, transsexual,
transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex,
bisexual and queer prisoners in Canada and the
United States, linking them with people who are
part of these same communities outside of pris-
on." - From their website. Write to them here:
QPIRG Concordia c/o Concordia University
1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, QC H3G
1M8
Inmate Ink: "Help us bring Hope to a prisoner
one letter at a time. Offers memberships from
$20 - $40. Your completed ad will be published
on our website for anyone in the general public
to view and contact you directly. For an appli-
cation or more info, please contact Tasha Brown
at: P.O. Box 53222 Marlborough CRO, Calgary
AB. T2A 7L9 or www.InmateInk.ca"
If you have had success using a pen
pal service (other than ours) and would
like to share it with other Cell Count
subscribers, please write to us or call.
We can list it in a future issue.
Moving?
We were getting about 75 Cell Counts
sent back to us each mail-out labelled,
‘Not Here’. Please help us reduce our
mailing expenses by letting us know of
any address change, ASAP! Thank you
for the consideration.
Workload
PASAN has been around for over 25
years now and over the years our
client population has increased dra-
matically. As a result of this increase in
workload, clients may not be able to
spend as much time on the telephone
with staff as we would like. The staff
and volunteers are dedicated and
committed and will continue to pro-
vide the best care possible. Thanks for
your patience and understanding!
Calling all artists, writers (fic-
tion, non-fiction, short stories,
etc), illustrators, cartoonists,
poets, journalists (aspiring or
otherwise), and other creative
types:
We want your submissions! We get
lots of letters from our readers telling
us how much they love seeing all your
work and they’re hungry for more.
Send us your stuff and get published
in Cell Count. When you send us stuff,
please make sure you write a line in that gives
us permission to publish your work. Also, let
us know if you would like your work returned
to you or sent on to someone else! Please also
type your work or write clearly if you can!
Writers: We get a lot of great work sent in that
we are unable to use because of very limited
space. Apologies. Please consider the column
width & keep articles/poems tight & to the
point. Honestly, the first items to go in are the
ones that fit nicely and leave space for others
– quality and quantity! Also, let us know in
writing if it’s ok to edit your work for grammar,
spelling and so we can fit it in.
Please note: If you do send something to
us, please give us a call if you can so we can
look out for it in the mail. Also, call us again
at least a week after you send it to make sure
we got it. If not, if you're sending in a piece of
writing, we can transcribe it over the phone for
you, so keep a copy of everything you send us!
We're especially looking for submissions
from women-identified folks! Women are the
fastest-growing prisoner population in Canada,
but often their experiences are marginalized
in conversations about the prison system. We
want to hear your take on prison, life, family,
or anything else you're interested in writing
about. We can guarantee confidentiality, and
can publish your pieces under a pseudonym if
you want! Please submit your articles, poetry,
art, or letters to the Cell Count editor at 526
Richmond St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1R3 - in the
meantime, check out Concrete Blossoms on
page 5.
When subscribing to Cell Count
We have been notified by a few different
institutions that if you'd like your subscription
of Cell Count to make it into your hands, you
have to register at the library to receive it first.
Please do this before requesting a subscription
from us just to make sure! Also, if you are inter-
ested in subscribing please contact: Cell Count,
526 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON, M5A 1R3 or
call Sena at: 1-866-224-9978 ext 228
Winter Issue Due Date!
Firstly, we want to thank everyone who sent us
submissions for this fall issue of Cell Count! We
are excited to present to our readership all of the
thought-provoking submissions we received for
this issue..
Submissions for the the winter issue of Cell
Count will be due December 15th, 2018. We
mentioned in the last issue that it would be No-
vember 15th, but due to the Canada Post strikes,
we are giving people more time to get their work
in to us.
We are aiming to get the winter issue out to you
by January - mid-February, depending on the
number of submissions we receive.
Obituary Section
With this section, we hope to give you an outlet
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
to express your grief so you don't have to ex-
perience it alone. You can send in an obituary
about someone you may have lost in prison or
on the outside. We will start with a limit of 125
words per obituary and expand based on your
feedback. You can also send in a photo or art
to accompany it. We had two submissions for
this issue, which you can find on page 4.
Bring PASAN to your group
Are you a PEC/APEC worker or part of a Prisoner
run group? PASAN regularly visits and holds work-
shops at prisons, if you would like to request us to
come and be a part of your work give us a call at
1-866-224-9978. It is a free call from any phone
and we would love to hear from you!
Contact Numbers
If you are in any Federal/Provincial Institution
or Detention Centre call us only with this #:
Toll-free 1-866-224-9978
Cell Count Feedback
Many of our subscribers ask us if there's a way
they can donate money to Cell Count, and since
we want the newspaper to remain free for peo-
ple inside, we are so grateful for the offers, but
we don't think you should have to pay to get it.
A way you can help us out though is by giving
us your feedback about Cell Count!
Cell Count is partially funded by the Public
Health Agency of Canada (PHAC), and part of
receiving this funding involves evaluating the
effectiveness of Cell Count. If you could take a
minute after reading this issue to let us know:
1) How did you hear about Cell Count?
2) Why did you subscribe to Cell Count?
3) Is Cell Count an important resource for you
and if so, why? If not, why?
4) In what ways has reading Cell Count affected
you? Mentally? Emotionally? Please elaborate.
5) If you have submitted work to Cell Count,
what has that meant to you?
You can call or write to us with answers to
these questions, which we will then forward to
PHAC! You can ask to remain anonymous as
well. Thank you! We really appreciate your help
with this :)
Prison Radio
KINGSTON AREA - CFRC Prison Radio airs
every Wednesday evening from 7-8pm on 101.9
FM. CFRC is the Queen's University communi-
ty radio station and every last Wednesday of
the month. CFRC can be heard from Millhaven
Institution, Collins Bay Institution, Joyceville In-
stitution, Bath Institution, Frontenac Institution,
Pittsburgh Institution, and Quinte Detention
Centre.
MONTREAL AREA – CKUT Prison Radio airs
on 90.3 FM on the second Thursday of every
month between 5-6 pm as part of the Off the
Hour show and on the fourth Friday of every
month between 11am and 12pm. It can be
heard from Bordeaux, Rivière-des-Prairies,
Centre de formation fédéral, Leclerc, Montée
St-Francois, Centre de détention pour les immi-
grants, Archambault, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines,
and Cowansville institutions.
VANCOUVER AREA – Stark Raven Collective
runs the CFRO Prison Radio show on 100.5 FM
as part of Vancouver Co-operative Radio. It
broadcasts on the first Monday of each month
from 7-8 pm Pacific Time
HALIFAX AREA - Dalhousie University's CKDU
at 88.1 FM. Listen or call in for poetry and rap
on the Black Power Hour, which airs Wednes-
days from 1:30-2:30pm , and is co-hosted by
former Halifax poet laureate El Jones. The show
focuses on social and cultural issues relevant to
Black communities, but is open to all listeners.
Calling any and all trans-identified
people
Some of you might know or have spoken to
Aanya Wood already. She is one of the Federal
Coordinators at PASAN since June, 2018. She’s
been connecting with other trans women inside
and is interested in hearing from more.
While trans people make up a significant pro-
portion of the prison population, most people
describe being isolated, mistreated or having
gaps in knowledge around trans health care
and general rights inside.
Aanya would love to connect with you if you:
have any questions; have insight or are inter-
ested in sharing your experiences navigating
the prison system while trans; or are looking to
connect. If you identify as transgender and are
interested in connecting with Aanya feel free to
reach her toll-free at 1-866-224-9978 ext 234
or write her a letter!”
3 // from inside
Bless
Lost world
There’s so much pain in the world
So much more than we can ignore
Most people have become desensi-
tized and callous
Others have become sympathetic,
creating movements
When will politics stop hindering
progress
And all nations move forward togeth-
er – as a “World” government
Helpfully providing for all humanity
I believe this is what Martin Luther
King Jr. meant when he said “I have
a dream”
Malcolm X said “By any means nec-
essary”
I don’t think he meant to do things
improperly or forcefully
I believe he meant, be strong and
stand up for what you believe
By any means necessary help those
who are weak
With this knowledge comes power
Bringing forth wisdom
To those that are chosen
Chosen by God to lead
To lead those that are lost like sheep
Brian G. Kerr
Inmates Beware
It was early 2014, I met a jail-house
snitch, better known as a rat.
When low and behold he turned out
to be exactly that!
Only he was more of an informant;
because though he had information,
it wasn’t necessarily true.
But that doesn’t matter, because it’s
called the turning of a screw.
“What this is, is a ploy to win your
freedom – but first you must con-
struct a good story.
Then you simply lead them.”
You have in mind what it is the sub-
ject wants; then you coordinate an
interception – this is known as “the
haunts”…
You have them touch on certain is-
sues as though you’re talking in code,
Then once established you have what
is, now “the mode”.
This is the key to your success…
If done properly, it will sound as
though you eventually caused the
subject to confess.
It is a method as old as the trees
themselves,
Devised by crafty criminals – while
enduring long moments in chain cells
Like dangling a carrot in front of a
mule—
Only then can you get the ass to walk
the golden rule.
Many Judges and even Kings and
Queens have been jailed,
For these lies aren’t tightly woven –
but rather loosely spooled.
It is for this reason why such decep-
tion works,
It requires a certain repetitiveness in
an attempt to ween out the quirks.
Many individuals – some who now
have had their convictions over-
turned,
Managed to expose this art of de-
ception.
(Although it appears to retain a level
of sophistication, it is actually quite
the contrary.)
And is more so an illusion, which por-
trays a “suggestive perception…”
Sort of like sending in a “Yellow
Canary” in hopes of determining a
leak – which would otherwise go
undetected.
But, yet appears to be a gold-mine to
those of interest.
Once carefully inspected.
Undeniably Pure
It takes two to hold hands,
Hug, kiss and make amends…
Two to share a secret and
Depend upon each other for help.
Two to care for and help carry
Each others burdens.
Tend to one another’s wounds, a cut
Or even a welt – full of hurts…
But it only takes one to truly forgive,
Accept responsibility and fashion a
life – worthy enough to live!
The Love we hold deep inside, is
the same Love; which helps us to
confide.
It’s only when we forsake this,
That we truly stand alone…
Sad and depressed, like a dog with-
out a bone.
There needs to be a helper,
Something more stable and secure.
Something much greater than our-
selves,
This I know for sure!
“There must be a God,
A Messiah or a Saviour.
Something more devout and
Perpetually holy and true.
So, an heir to a kingdom,
Like a prince or a son.
Cause, only this sort of devotion,
The Love of One…
Could present as such a cure,
It’s immaculately honest..
And,
“Undeniably Pure”.
Aboriginal – alone and in jail
For four years and Nine months, give
or take. I have been in this god awful
place,
For goodness sake.
My mother has passed and nine
months gone by – No need to won-
der, no time to cry
I did nothing I plead in my mind, No
one cares... not even the blind
It sounds like a joke, but I assure
you it’s not. “We all have a story, and
some be true. But, I did absolutely
nothing to him/her or even you!”
And our courts they justify the things
they decide; it doesn’t matter wheth-
er you're guilty or innocent, disobey
or abide.
It’s a corruptive system – so wise in
its ways…
“Behold my friends, I kid you not –
we’re in the last days!”
The police are murderers with a
licence to kill. The Crowns and the
Judges rejoice happily, so long as
there is still blood to spill.
It pays the bills and levies the debt…
So, let’s just put them all away and
say “criteria not met!”
(Cause in the end only us rich will
prevail, we’ll take away their freedom
and deprive them of their bail.)
“However, keep buying our institu-
tional canteen, as pricy as it may be.
Otherwise we won’t be able to keep
you in a state of such debtly!”
Our laws have been fixed like our
scales to say the least... “I mean we’re
only doing what society wants,
Hail allegiance to the beast!”
So, the next time you wonder why
you are where you are this day.
Remember the ones who put you
there and the cards of which they
play!
The Lord sees it all and he will take
his vengeance toll.
He’ll strip them of their contentfull-
ness and lay them in She’ol.
Where they will weep in discomfort
and beg for remorse.
But, none will be given – because
of their obstinance and continued
discourse.
“So, take courage my friends who
appear to be so frail…
Even if you are,
Aboriginal – alone and in jail.”
Billy D
Brother to Brother, Warrior to
Warrior
The toughest of individuals are given
the most battles to fight. We do not
act out of Impulse, but rather great
strategy and rationality, making us
very calculated individuals.
We understand the Importance of
SILENCE. If we must speak we will
choose select few words opposed to
a parade of words.
We don’t waste our time speaking
to the deaf nor will we dance for the
blind.
We know loyalty before Royalty.
Honour is not just another word to
us we see it as a lifestyle, we teach
our young the importance of loyalty,
honour and respect
Our minds must be sharp, hearts
must be proud, we will survive in
times of adversity and cut through
corners with ease
WE ARE WARRIORS.
A lion in the Jungle never pays atten-
tion to an ant in a tree. Remember,
some people aren’t worthy of your
attention. Also throughout your life
you will be surrounded by friendly
wolves. These friendly wolves will
surround themselves with Body
Guards of lies
Nolan R. Turcotte
Nibi
Are you aware of how Sacred you
have been since your conception?
The most precious out of all of Gitchi
Manitou’s inventions
You hold the water for a reason like
clouds in the first season
Without rain there isn’t life, Without
women there isn’t breathing
Remember what you’re worth, Your
water is pure at birth
It may get contaminated throughout
journeying Mother Earth
The right man’s fire will boil out the
filth and melt the shame
The same way your water was meant
to tame the flame
Our purpose is to balance, Not to
curve like eagle talons
You’re the bows and we’re the
arrows, Meant to work together as
companions
Life givers should be hon-
oured-Mothers, sisters, daughters!
Rather than disrespected by the men
who can be monsters
I encourage all men to learn water
before fire, Although we’re equal
women should be elevated higher
The fire’s down low, We raise the
water to our lips
We can’t live without it, look at how
the script flips
-Written for my wife, Angela, and
dedicated to all the Life givers.
Zakaria Amara
Purpose
Oh one who made this Universe
And gave each one their own pur-
pose
I sought you out throughout my life
In every valley and every height
In every secret cave on land
Up in heaven or on the ground
I call on you, broken
My tears ascend towards the sky
I'm filled with pain that is no lie
My life is hard I can't deny
I'm reaching my limits
I Journeyed on for all these years
Wiping away my lonely tears
Withstanding pain and piercing fears
For only one purpose
If all of those who are on land
And those in heaven or beneath the
sand
Or in the oceans and seas you
made
Had turned away from me with
hate
And all I got was a loving glance
From you to me and a second
chance
Achieved is my purpose
This Place
Snakes lurk in this place
They are all highly venomous
Leave no skin exposed
This place is very cold
Your soul shivers and trembles
Only faith can warm it
This place is very dark
Eyes of the head malfunction here
Insight is required
This place is very sad
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
Joy is considered contraband
Learn to smuggle it
This place clips you wings
It fills your lungs with despair
Learn to fly using hope
The Prophet Darwin
I met a man who said to me
Can you believe that God could be?
With all the stories that fossils tell,
The tales you tell don't ring a bell
The only prophet my faith is in
Is an Englishman we call Darwin
I said to him suppose that I,
Believed that God was but a lie
That our Universe was born by
chance
And God's real name was "Happen-
stance"
That my forefathers were great big
apes
Stumbling around searching for
grapes
That good and evil on our whims
depend
That death was the end the ends
all ends
That this life we live is meaningless
With no real goal or great purpose
Then my dear friend I ask you this:
When the winds of hardship begin
to hiss
And the nights of sorrow consume
my cheers
And my face is washed by streams
of tears
And my heart is broken like an old
tree
And reliefs gatekeeper has tossed
the key
And I find myself alone in darkness
With no one to speak to except my
madness
Weak and broken, without any
power
Can Darwin help me in that hour?
Planet Gazing
I stood before the limits of my
world
And peered through the windows
of my cell
To gaze at a planet I was told
Was better than this "ever wretched
hell"
The people over there appeared
so sad
For pain was in the air they had to
breathe
With busy lives that drove them
ever mad
Like hordes of mice chasing after
cheese
I stared with confusion at this scene
And that's when I heard an Angel
yell
Contentment is the heaven of our
being
And lack of it is its greatest hell
Dakota Rain Manitowabi
The defintion of a true warrior:
is not dignified by the
Amounts of Scalps he has stripped
from his enemies skins in
Battle and Warfare,
But it is
By the amount of
Peace & Prosperity he has created
Amongst enemies and his people...
Mr. Valley
fart boogie noodles spill across the
floor
like sparkling new wine and jail-
house macaroni.
the masked womyn unveils and
delightful laughter
cuts like a newly sharpened knife
where only silence reigned before.
shadows rise before floodlights
and the pause before the clapper
snaps
doesn't have time to brood.
with a toss to the left and a nod to
the right
the audience is forewarned ...
here comes the chameleon to per-
form.
voices drawn from imagined within
speak across the gathered heads
to ring against the echoing wall,
and time is cast back to greet
the lady and her beau,
who, having been called beyond
himself,
finds a new tongue with which to
call
to the ghosts of actors past.
bow to the magic of theatre.
the cauldron's power...
the mixing disparate parts to find the
united whole,
sweeping together into
a new gathering of one.
experience the mysterious rites
of art and her performing wonder.
oh suppose she was only womyn
and miss the moment's truth.
the lady's muse has melded and
fused
life into the fleeting.
to her I offer my most precious.
to her I rejoice in the gift of her
presence
and give thanks.
to her I give
... my Scoobie Do underwear.
17-9-25
for Claire
and Scoobie Do underwear.
--
potato nipples
nibble & sprout fuschia-
burgundy cosmo-licious areolas
standing tall with wishes to be
kissed...
& fuzzy bees bless them with
noses pressed against their needy
centers.
and sunflowers shout, "look look,
look at me
i'm so tall and free, look at me." and
who cannot?
and shy chamomile
with her petals slumped like the
pale
arms of wallflowers in gymnasiums
everywhere holds
her secret fragrance tight till tickled
by the touch light
& love's mature & heady scent
proclaims the promise
of buckwheat's honeyed
compliment.
necar for the night.
oh kiss potato's honeyed lips &
breathe deep the
scented night & at
last
tongue the nippled being
satisfied to sleep contented
dreams.
18-9-6
for penelope's button.
Madelein Prinlsoo
Trapped
I feel so encaged between these
walls of my room,
All these chains on my arms & my
legs.
I'm a prisoner of my own soul & my
own mind.
My soul must be blind to see only
darkness.
I don't know...
But I feel so alone.
Am I raged with fear?
Or only in despair?
Someone guide me please!
Someone help me please!
Someone free me please! !
I long to fly from this prison.
My tears don't seem to be enough,
Inside this lonely hole,
I hope to find... Heaven!
Or at least a Piece of it...
No matter how I try,
I just can't seem to free myself from
this hell.
No matter what I do,
The shackles just won't break!
This empty void inside seem to
swallow me whole tonight.
No matter how I try, I just can't seem
to breathe again.
No matter what I do, I find myself
inside this room,
Where the world's walls are closing
in on me.
No matter what I try, I find myself
continued on pg 5
4 // from inside
stuck in this lonely hole.
I find myself alone with this sound of
silence,
because everything dies in dark-
ness...
Nothing lives -
Everything dies in silence - Even my
soul...
Inside this lonely hole, I sit and
wonder what went wrong,
Will I ever see the light again?
Was all this pain in vein?
The night it feels so long, I wish it all
away –
Just to see your face,
Just to hear your voice from out the
darkness of the night.
In the naked light of day,
I hear a thousand sounds -
It disturbs the silence with your voice.
Darkness my old friend,
I leave you and say "good day"
I'll see you tonight once again.
I long to see your eyes and then -
To hold you tight and make all things
seem right,
And make all my sadness seem like
lies.
Will I see you again?
The day is almost gone,
So why the face so long?
It's time to greet the day and wish
the night away.
Just want to see your eyes one more
time...
Just want to run away from my prison
into your embrace.
No matter how I try,
I just can't seem to free myself - from
this prison at night.
No matter what I do, the shackles
just won't break! !
Inside this lonely hole,
I find myself encaged between the
walls of my room,
All these chains on my arms & my
legs - just won't break! !
Someone guide me please!
Someone help me please!
Someone free me please! !
I long to fly from this place!
This empty foad inside, seem to
swallow me whole tonight.
No matter how I try, I just can't
seem to breathe again.
No matter what I do, I find myself
inside this room –
Where the walls are closing in on me
again!
El Presidenteeh
Soliloquy
In my mind,
There’s a man who exists in chains,
In a dark room of painful solitude, is
where I hope to remain.
Never thoughts of suicide,
I’m too alive,
Bullets from the AK-47 hit me up,
It’s too hard to die,
Don’t listen to the lies,
I swear they all lies
Presidenteeh is a shinning light,
With certified ties,
I can maintain with patience,
Time can limit but not shatter my
will,
Strength blazed across my chest,
As solid as penitentiary steel,
In this 6 by 8
The AR-15 is screaming,
Behind these walls,
Searching for meaning,
I’ve given 95% of my boys a hand-
shake,
Then a pound,
Before they were either locked up,
Or buried off in Cemetery grounds,
My bro Andre passed away,
The pain is relentless,
Now wrongfully convicted,
appealing a life sentence.
Fame
Blinded by the fame
From my Music addicted ways
Not Caring about the Crime
Or the Consequences that it gave
I was Scared to Say Sorry
There’s no other way to say
To make it in that life
They were the Cards I had to play
It may Seem hypocritical
When I Say change for pay
But I say it from a prison cell
From my Music addicted days
Now trapped and alone
With just myself to blame
The mirror is my enemy
When I look I feel ashamed
The person I’ve become
Is not the man who I am
Music was my everything
Blowing a couple hundred grand
All that’s left now
Is the shell of a man
Never Knew a normal life
That’s what people don’t understand
Trap Boy Sunny
One Night Stand (Remix)
(Chorus)
You should stay
More than one night with me. Oh!
Oh Baby.
I want you until the morning come
Another night
You come stay with me
Just you and me
Baby you, should stay
Another night with me, Oh Baby
I want you till the morning come
One more night, come stay with me
(verse 2)
Tell me how it feels, After I take you
down tonight.
And tell me how it feels, after I please
you all damn night
OUU, I got the recipe girl
I’ll be your remedy, yeah
OUU girl, Ima kiss from your head to
yah feet yeah.
Satisfaction guaranteed, OUU girl
No I didn’t come to tease yah, I just
came to please yah
Do you better than him, you know I
eat that cake up
Girl I wana make up, baby I think that
we should
(verse 3)
You should stay, more that one night
with me, oh baby
I want you till the morning come,
another night
You come stay with me, just you and
me, baby you
Should stay another night with me,
oh baby
I want you until the morning come,
one more night
Come stay with me, baby you
Should stay more than one night
with me
A one night stand ain’t enough for
me
S. Halliday AKA G
We Must Learn
We must learn that we were created
with a great love.
This love we were created with came
from our Father in the heaven above.
We are all from one place we are all
brothers and sisters in the human
race.
We must learn how to overcome our
mistakes
To live as one people do what ever
it takes
We must learn that war and hate is
not the answer
Because once it starts it will spread
like a cancer
We must learn how to help the sick
and needy
Stop thinking of only yourself stop
being so greedy
We must learn that forever on earth
we will not live
So learn how to love learn how to
give
In life love in the one thing we all
yearn
So please remember that it is love we
must learn
Patrick “SDK” Dowdell
First Glance
The very first day I set my eyes upon
you
I sensed something special believed
this is true.
I said to myself “Do not let her go!”
For your happiness rests with this
woman so.
As the days pass by in this cold dark
hell,
I think of my Jenny and my heart
swells.
My World
Jenny you mean the world to me,
You truly are my queen to be.
How fortunate I was to meet this
soul,
Without you honey, I would be far
from whole.
You really bring out the best in me,
I’ll make you so proud; I promise
you’ll see.
Your love is what gets me through
these dark days,
And the light it provides will help
guide our way.
I look forward to the day you’re offi-
cially my wife,
You’re the only woman I’ll spend with
my life.
Hanging on to Hope
While I sit in this Living hell surround-
ed by cement walls and steel fixtures
and Let’s not forget those who claim
they have your best interests. Don’t
believe it for a minute they’re not
your friend till the end they’re only
there to take! How fucking Fake!
Don’t think I don’t know how you roll!
What’s the matter big dog? Why you
treating me so cold? Don’t worry bro;
I’ll keep that smile of gold; While you
hold on to your hate, I’ll make sure I
feel great, some fucking friend! But
I’ll get through these days something
in a haze, going through the maze,
trying to find my way out, it’ll come to
me soon, I’ll hold onto hope and put
this place behind me, until the day I
live free! I’ll just sit back in disbelief
as I wait for my day of relief…
Barriers
As I look straight up into the clouds,
Instead of straight into the ground or
What surrounds me, for that mo-
ment I am
Both physically and mentally free, I
am not
Surrounded by concrete walls and
steel barriers.
Cause it’s through my eyes that can
only
Disguise what truly surrounds me
from
Being Free!
Tyler “Lucky” Beggs
My Girl and Me
Why do I even try to settle our feud,
As you sit on your ASS and try to act
amused.
So; am I nothing but a joke,
My dreams get smoked like a roach.
Poof; once again I am being used,
My heart is yours, and that’s the
proof.
Sore dry windows, to our souls,
As my heart once again, belongs to
summer of old.
I’m almost blind, from my old and
tired eyes,
Tears that never dries.
Why do I even try,
The wind tries to put out a fire, that
never dies.
Can you vision, the abstract sad art,
Screams from a soul that will never
part.
That has strayed together from the
very start,
We must of used, cupids last and
lucky dart,
As true love dangles, from both our
hearts. Instructions that prove, exact-
ly what to do,
As it’s a true love worth living, be-
cause it’s so true,
A true love storey, of me and you
Dear Ally
Dear my sweet sweet Ally,
I’m in love madly and I miss you so
badly.
I feel as though I can relate, to a
Great White shark,
Because I am living, in a world so
deep and dark.
The sad place I’m in, is completely
evil and black,
And so everybody knows, my heart’s
attacked.
Imagine your heart being stole, lost
to a foreign world
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
As my heart belongs, to a sad young
girl.
Addicted to drugs,
ets O
And phony fake ass fucking thugs. nTwe
I’m the gun and she’s my slug, Priso
We come together to stain the rugs,
Her heart has stayed, where it last
was.
100; Completely with me,
An idea developed by Jeff Craig
And until I am freed – is where she
will see,
And until then, she can just keep livin
in her dream. Cell Count contributor Jeff Craig
I can still always feel, her lonely came up with "Prison Tweets." A
broken heart, "tweet" is a super short quote,
When I awake, as soon as the day shoutout, piece of wisdom, thought,
ends, update, or anything you can come
up with! Mail us or call with a tweet,
I know for sure, that it’s not pretend.
She’s my shorty, my love, and my lil’ and you might see it in an upcoming
bestfriend, issue. Let's see what you got!
And our love will last until the end, Alex Gaudreau
Until the day that I say when.
Until then, I will say -You can kill the things you create,
She must walk, strong, on both her but you cannot create the things you
legs killed.
And until the day, she’s Mrs. Allysha -My days turn into nights, my nights
Beggs. turn into dreams.
Granpa & Grama
This country tune has a bit of rock Nolan Turcotte
n’ roll
It’s about, two loving souls that have You’re broken just like me, babe. So,
hearts of Gold why don’t we take all of our shat-
It’s a little love story, being told tered pieces and create something
About a man and a womyn, Growin beautiful.
old
I really miss, my granpa so Forgotten Warrior
And I really wish that he didn’t have She sayz she only wantz 4 me 2 be at
to go
peace
He always knew the right things to do
Well yes and
And his heart was open if you were
There is nothing so peaceful as the
true
grave
I remember hiss swag in the way he
Now is there?
walked
And his cursed words was just the
way he talked Is it possible that i am so weary of
He could, build a house, from the anger and bitterness that I let it slip
ground up away 4 awhile? So just give me this
And act so cool like it was nothin’ moment alone? I do not feel empti-
much ness, I do not feel loneliness, I do not
Just another day so I could say feel my hurt, my mind is just empty
goodbye
and I feel peace within, which is so
And everybody says that I have his beautiful and I wish I could feel it all
eyes
the time and 4 the moment, let go!!
He met my Grama workin’ in the
mines
What you think is how you'll act
She was, servin’ dinner to the men in
the supper lines How you act is how you'll feel
How you feel is what you are
A double date and she was with his
friend Obituaries
But his beautiful Irish eyes lured her
to him To my bro Steve Frenette, may
And so it goes, a true love story you rest in peace, your friends will
begins always keep your spirit alive, always
Together forever, until the end thinking of you bro, your friend The
I said; together forever until the end
Sundance kid!
~ Yeeee ha ~ - by Patrick "SDK" Dowdell
Dwight (KC) Luke Nicholson In memory of: Ruby-Ann
Broken Dreams Kokopenace, Feb 3: 2015
As children bring their broken toys,
With tears for us to mend,
I brought my broken dreams to God,
Because he is my friend.
But then, instead of leaving him,
In peace to work alone,
I hung around and tried to help
With ways that were my own,
At last I snatched them back and
cried,
“How can you be so slow?”
“My child,” he said, “What could I
do…”
“you never did let go!”
“1”
I am only one, but I am one,
I cannot do everything,
But I can do something,
What I can do I should do, I should
do and,
With the help of God, I will do!
Too Wonderful
Some of God’s attributes are too
wonderful to understand
But even if they remain
Darkness to the intellect,
Let them be sunshine,
For your soul
Together
A man was walking in a wilderness.
He became lost and was unable to
find his way out. Another man met
him. "If my love could see"
“Sir, I am lost, can you show me the I made this in memory of thee! The
tears I shed for you! You left me on
way out of this wilderness!”
“No!” said the stranger, “I cannot this earth alone! My heart forever
show you the way out of the wilder- broken. One day I'll come home to
ness but maybe if I walk with you we you my love.
can find it together.” - by Gabriel R. Oates
5 // NEWS ON THE BLOCK
The prisoners at the Burnside
jail are engaged in a non-vi-
olent protest; here is their
statement
By El Jones - Halifax Examiner
August 19, 2018
Today’s column has been provided to
the Halifax Examiner by organizers of
the protest in Burnside.
We, the prisoners of Burnside,
have united to fight for change. We
are unified across the population in
non-violent, peaceful protest.
We are calling for support from the
outside in solidarity with us. We be-
lieve that it is only through collective
action that change will be made.
We recognize that the staff in the
jail are workers who are also facing
injustice. We are asking for a more
productive rehabilitative environ-
ment that supports the wellbeing of
everyone in the system. These policy
changes will also benefit the workers
in the jail.
Our voices should be considered
in the programming and policies
for this jail. The changes we are
demanding to our conditions are
reasonable, and must happen to
support our human rights.
The organizers of this protest
assert that we are being warehoused
as inmates, not treated as human
beings. We have tried through
other means including complaint,
conversation, negotiation, petitions,
and other official and non-official
means to improve our conditions.
We now call upon our supporters
outside these walls to stand with us
in protesting our treatment.
We join in this protest in solidarity
with our brothers in prison in the
United States who are calling for
a prison strike from August 21st
to September 9th. We support the
demands of our comrades in the
United States, and we join their call
for justice.
Our demands in Nova Scotia are
different, and we note that they are
comparatively more modest. We
are part of an international call for
justice and we recognize the roots of
this struggle in a common history of
struggle and liberation.
We are not the first, and we will not
be the last.
We recognize that the injustices we
face in prison are rooted in colonial-
ism, racism and capitalism. August
is a month rich with the history of
Black struggle in the Americas.
In 1619, the first ship carrying
forcibly enslaved Africans arrived in
Jamestown, Virginia. More than two
hundred years ago, the first suc-
cessful slave revolt created the first
independent Black nation, Haiti. In
the early nineteenth century, Gabriel
Prosser and Nat Turner launched
their rebellions, and in 1850, after
the passage of the Fugitive Slave Act,
Harriet Tubman began an Under-
ground Railroad to Canada. A centu-
ry later, the March on Washington,
the Watts uprising, and the police
bombing of MOVE have marked
August as a time of great possibility
and great pain.
In Canada, we recognize Prisoner
Justice Day on August 10th as a time
to remember all those who have
died in custody in this country.
We also acknowledge the sacrifices
made by our forebears, those who
have fought to end the inhumane,
racist treatment accorded prisoners.
George Jackson, one of America’s
prominent prisoner activists, was
assassinated in San Quentin in Au-
gust 1971, and his name is joined by
others — Jonathan Jackson, William
Christmas, James McClain, WL Nolen,
and others.
In August 1978 in San Quentin,
activist Khatari Gaulden died after
being refused adequate health care
for an injury suffered under myste-
rious circumstances. To honour his
name and to fight for prison justice,
a coalition of activists, inside and
outside the prison walls, formed the
Black August Organizing Commit-
tee. Starting in the “concentration
camps” of California, Black August
strikes swept through prisons across
America.
In this tradition and together
with those imprisoned south of the
border, we, the prisoners of Burnside
continue this legacy. We are not vi-
olent, we are standing up for simple
issues of human justice.
We are organized together because
conditions must change. Our de-
mands are as follows:
1. Better Health Care
The province has a duty to provide
adequate and ethical health care
to everyone. Some of the issues we
are facing in our health care include:
having medication cut off or delays in
providing necessary medication; long
waits for x-rays and other medical
services; lack of care for chronic and
serious illnesses; access to specialist
appointments; having our medical
complaints dismissed; not enough
medical staff; not receiving compas-
sionate care.
Many prisoners face serious mental
health issues, addictions, and chronic
illnesses caused by poverty. We also
know the prison environment causes
many health problems. Medical
treatment is a right: being deprived
of health care is not part of our
sentences.
2. Rehabilitation Programs
We are told that the purpose of jail
is to rehabilitate us. We want to ask:
How are we being rehabilitated if
there are little to no programs help-
ing us to get the work, education,
and life skills we need to become
productive members of society?
We need programs that ad-
dress mental health and addiction
problems; that teach us employable
skills; that help us to learn financial
management and other life skills;
that help us build healthy relation-
ships with our families; that help us
reintegrate into society.
What is the point of jail if we are
coming out with nothing changed or
worse from when we went in?
3. Exercise Equipment
Exercise is necessary for our physical
and mental health. We remind the
province that we live in a province
with winter. We require equipment
so we can work out indoors. Exercise
helps reduce stress, keeps us occu-
pied in healthy ways, and helps us
deal with the prison environment.
We often do not receive the yard
time we are entitled to under the
Corrections Act. This is a violation
of the rights we already have. We
call for adequate time for fresh air,
exercise, and sunlight.
4. Contact Visits
If we are being scanned for drugs
and other contraband, we want
to ask the province: Why are we
prevented from having contact
visits with our families? If the body
scanners eliminate contraband from
entering the prison, then there is
no safety or security reason why we
can’t receive contact visits with our
families and friends.
Many of us are parents. We call for
contact visits that allow our children
to see us not behind glass.
5. Personal Clothing and Shoes
If we are being scanned for drugs
and other contraband, then we
should be able to wear clothing from
outside the institution.
The clothing and shoes provided
by the jail is often inadequate. We
have been provided with shoes of
different sizes, shoes that do not fit,
and we are not provided with winter
clothing like gloves that allow us to
go outside.
Wearing our own clothing helps
prevent institutionalization, allows
us to have appropriate clothing, and
helps us feel like human beings.
6. Same Quality Food As Every
Other Jail
We call for nutritious food in every
jail that meets the needs of prison-
ers from all religious and cultural
backgrounds. We do not understand
why menu items can be provided in
one institution but not in others. If
menu items can be provided in other
provinces, or in other facilities in this
province, there should be no reason
why they cannot be provided here.
We call for the province to respect
the dietary needs of prisoners from
different cultures. We have strug-
gled in getting menus for religious
prisoners. Prisoners have become ill
including suffering serious nutritional
deficits, and health damage. This is
unacceptable and a violation of our
religious rights.
7. Air Circulation
We call upon the province to improve
the conditions in the jail. In the
recent heat wave, the health of pris-
oners was endangered, particularly
prisoners with existing or chronic
health issues.
8. Healthier Canteen
We call for healthy items to be added
to the canteen. Prisoners supple-
ment the meals provided by the pris-
on with these items that we purchase
using our own money or money
given us by our families. We do not
believe that providing us only with
items filled with sugar and chemicals
helps promote our health. Junk food
is being eliminated from schools,
hospitals, and other institutions, so
why are people in prison limited to
these unhealthy options?
9. No Limits to Visits
Visits with our families and friends
help promote our reintegration into
society and keep us connected to our
support systems. Our families are
called upon to put resources into the
system through paying for phones
and canteen. If the jail can profit off
our families, why do we face limita-
tions in seeing them?
10. Access To Library
We call upon the province to imme-
diately allow us to access the library.
Legal materials in the library are
necessary for us to access our legal
rights in court.
We should not be limited in our
attempts to educate ourselves.
Let us restate. All of these demands
are reasonable, and promote our
basic well-being. We recognize that
the prison industrial complex is in-
tended to divide us. We are unified in
our purpose. They cannot segregate
us all.
We call upon all people with a con-
science beyond the bars to join us
in sharing this statement, in writing
the Minister of Justice, your MLA, and
the Department of Justice to support
our demands, to commit to learning
more about the conditions in this
province’s jails, and in taking actions
in solidarity with our struggle.
We send a message of hope to our
comrades in prisons all across this
country and the world.
“It is said that no one truly knows
a nation until one has been inside its
jails. A nation should not be judged by
how it treats its highest citizens, but its
lowest ones.”
—Nelson Mandela
Prison Strikes Across the US
By Fiona Bennell
From August 21st to Sept 9th prison-
ers in 17 US states and 1 Canadian
province (NS) were on strike for pris-
on reform. Organization of the strike
on the inside and out was spear-
headed by inmates and Jailhouse
Lawyers Speak (JLS) and supported
by Incarcerated Workers Organizing
Committee (IWOC) and Free Alabama
Movement (FAM). The strike was
sparked by the deaths of 7 prison-
ers in April of this year during an
uprising in a South Carolina prison, a
part of a growing trend of uprisings
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
JLS Press Release
How the Ongoing Prison Strike is Connected to the
Labor Movement, Kim Kelly TEEN VOUGE Sept 4,
2018
Commissioner’s mandate letter
Art: @meloniousfunk service to, stating that people in
in South Carolina and across the US.
These deaths have been connected
by some to the results of reduced
funding: overcrowding, understaffing
and reductions in prison programs
and services.
Through the JLS, prisoners released
a set of 10 demands (listed below) to
accompany their peaceful protest ac-
tions including: sit-ins, hunger strikes, respect and information from the
product boycotts, refusal to work,
etc. They contain a focus on prison
conditions, law and policy reform,
as well as prison slavery; the use of
prisoners to produce commercial
goods for little or no compensation.
While the laws in Canada are differ-
ent, these demands also reflect the
prison conditions and labour rights
issues going on in our federal and
provincial systems. Within the Cana-
dian context this includes: federal
food and board wage deductions,
service and funding reductions, and
corporate contracting for prison ser-
vices such as phones, food provision,
and canteen goods.
The strikes this year received
significantly more media and public
attention than strikes in previous
years, for example in 2016.
Strike Demands:
1. Immediate improvements to
the conditions of prisons and prison
policies that recognize the humanity
of imprisoned men and women.
2. An immediate end to prison
slavery. All persons imprisoned in
any place of detention under United
States jurisdiction must be paid the
prevailing wage in their state or terri-
tory for their labor.
3. The Prison Litigation Reform Act
must be rescinded, allowing impris-
oned humans a proper channel to
address grievances and violations of
their rights.
4. The Truth in Sentencing Act and
the Sentencing Reform Act must be
rescinded so that imprisoned hu-
mans have a possibility of rehabilita-
tion and parole. No humans shall be
sentenced to Death by Incarceration
or serve any sentence without the
possibility of parole.
5. An immediate end to the racial
overcharging, over-sentencing, and
parole denials of Black and brown
humans. Black humans shall no
longer be denied parole because the
victim of the crime was white, which
is a particular problem in southern
states.
6. An immediate end to racist gang
enhancement laws targeting Black
and brown humans.
7. No imprisoned human shall
be denied access to rehabilitation
programs at their place of detention
because of their label as a violent
offender.
8. State prisons must be funded
specifically to offer more rehabilita-
tion services.
9. Pell grants must be reinstated in
all US states and territories.
10. The voting rights of all confined
citizens serving prison sentences,
pretrial detainees, and so-called
“ex-felons” must be counted. Rep-
resentation is demanded. All voices
count.
Sources: Bloodied bodies stacked in a prison yard:
What happens when states slash prison spending
Steve Reilly, USA TODAY April 30, 2018
Summarized by Brendan Arnott
In this letter, Ralph Goodale, the
former commissioner of Correctional
Service Canada (CSC), writes to the
new commissioner Anne Kelly. The
letter speaks about the recommend-
ed changes that Goodale sees as
important, which he hopes the new
CSC commissioner will work on.
He starts by talking about 3 groups
of people that CSC needs to provide
custody need to be given effective
programming, interventions and
treatment in a safe, secure and
humane way, and that when people
leave prisons and return to communi-
ties, they need to be well-prepared for
that transition. For prison employees,
Goodale wants a safe and supportive
workplace, as well as compassion,
system to be available to those who
have been victims of a crime.
Indigenous peoples and organizations
are mentioned as ‘key partners’ by
Gooddale, as he acknowledges that
the overrepresentation of Indigenous
people in prison are caused by gaps
in the system and desperately needs
to be addressed. Recommendations
include increasing the number of
community-run healing lodges and
higher numbers of community-sup-
ported releases, as well as making
sure that culturally-appropriate inter-
ventions are developed in collabora-
tion with Indigenous partners to help
prepare people, especially Indigenous
women, for post-prison life. Goodale
also requests greater inclusion of
Indigenous needs and perspectives
into the structure of the CSC
Goodale acknowledges that prisons
also aren’t meeting the needs of Black
Canadians, women, young adults,
LGBTQ2 people, seniors and people
with disabilities, and states that inter-
ventions and collaboration also need
to happen to speak to the needs of
these populations. He goes on to say
that it’s not enough to just call prison
programming ‘rehabilitative’ - this
needs to be proveable, with data &
research, and suggests partnerships
around alternatives, such as pro-
grams related to the arts, programs
involving animals, and programs that
include peer mentoring.
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has
also called for gaps in service to
people with mental illness through-
out the criminal justice system to be
addressed. This includes stepping
up early diagnosis and treatment of
acute and chronic medical and mental
health conditions, implementing harm
reduction measures, seeing sub-
stance use as a medical issue instead
of a moral problem, reducing the use
of segregation / solitary confinement
in prison, and viewing nutrition as
another integral part of the bigger
picture that makes up mental health
(perhaps in response to recent re-
ports that bad food & small portions
in Canadian prisons are heightening
tensions).
Goodale’s idea of rehabilitation also
includes education and employment,
and he recommends making edu-
cation more available, by exploring
options related to distance learn-
ing, vocational programming, and
supervised use of technology. He also
recommends that family and commu-
nity ties are strengthened as much as
possible by reducing barriers to visits
and communication between people
inside and their friends & family.
Finally, Goodale speaks to CSC
employees, asking them to take on
a ‘culture of ongoing self reflection’,
which he hopes will keep the work-
place free from bullying, harassment
and sexual violence. Part of this also
means welcoming constructive, good-
faith critiques as indispensable.
6 // NEWS ON THE BLOCK
'It's really limited my ability to feel':
Former inmate recalls time in solitary
confinement
By Ariel Fournier, CBC News
Gavin Annett spent months in an eight-by-10-
foot segregation cell at the Edmonton Institu-
tion, with only a mail slot-sized window to view
out into the hallway.
Sometimes, he said, he went for days without
leaving his cell.
During that time, his perception of reality
changed. After a while it became more difficult
to leave solitary confinement than to go back
in.
"You become so removed from people that
being around people almost becomes unbear-
able," said Annett, who was released from
incarceration earlier this year.
The federal government is moving to end
the practice of solitary confinement in federal
prisons.
Bill C-83, tabled on Oct. 16, would establish
penitentiary units — to be called Structured
Intervention Units. The units would house in-
mates separately while still giving them access
to rehabilitation, mental health care and other
programs.
Under the new model, inmates who can't be
safely managed in the mainstream population
would receive interventions and programs
tailored to their needs. They would also be
allowed outside their cells for four hours
each day, compared to two under the current
administrative segregation model, and would
have access to two hours a day of "meaningful
human contact."
In July of this year, Annett filed a lawsuit
against a group of corrections officers, seeking
$1 million in damages from the federal and
provincial governments. In his statement of
claim, he claims that he was held in segrega-
tion at the Edmonton Institution for arbitrary
reasons.
The statement also claims officers in Ed-
monton and the Bowden Institution, abused
and humiliated him. He claims he was "pep-
per-sprayed, hog-tied and beat up" by staff
and also suffered other abuses. None of the
allegations has been proven in court.
In an emailed statement to CBC News, Cor-
rectional Service Canada said it could not offer
information on an offender's case.
In 2015, Annett pleaded guilty to cocaine pos-
session with intent to traffic and was sentenced
to three years in prison. He moved between
several Alberta prisons and remand centres
during his sentence.
In an interview with CBC News, he said he
was placed in segregation immediately after he
arrived at the maximum-security Edmonton In-
stitution. He said he spent time in segregation
two other times after being assaulted by other
inmates. Another time he was sent to segrega-
tion after he assaulted an inmate.
In total, he estimated he spent about six
months in administrative segregation at the
Edmonton Institution — including a pair of two-
month stints.
"It's not that you want to be alone, but the
longer that you spend in segregation, the more
you don't feel that being with other people is
OK," he said.
"The paranoia is so [strong] that you don't
trust people. You're almost imagining things.
Your dreams become so surreal, so you're
thinking that if you get out of there you're in
trouble, or your safety is at risk."
Annett said his time in segregation has made
him unemployable and left him with post-trau-
matic stress disorder​.
"It's really limited my ability to feel."
During his time in solitary, he said, eating
became a chore. Standing was uncomfortable.
He was in physical pain. Annett could occasion-
ally request books from a library and he read
the Bible sometimes, but mostly he just did
nothing.
"I zone out still today in the same way that
I zoned out in the segregation cell," Annett
said. "My kids, say 'Dad, you're staring off into
nowhere,' and that's where I am: I'm off in that
segregation cell."
Room for optimism
Jen Metcalfe, executive director of Prisoners'
Legal Services with the West Coast Prison
Justice Society, said she is optimistic about the
legislation if the structured intervention unit
model proves to be more than another version
of segregation.
Bill C-83 has "a new focus on ensuring that
prisoners receive meaningful human contact
and effective programs at the appropriate
time," she said.
"There is a focus on preparing prisoners for
reintegration into the prisoner population in
consideration of their specific needs that I hope
will foster a change in the culture of correction-
al staff to one that supports prisoners to do
well, rather than one that is punitive."
According to a 2017 Corrections Canada re-
port, institutions in the Prairie region — which
stretches between Alberta and northwestern
Ontario — are holding more inmates in segre-
gation than any other region.
Bill C-83 could mean an entirely new ap-
proach for inmates who are kept apart from
the general population.
Former prisoner 'a little skeptical'
But Annett said he is concerned that even with
new laws, staff may not follow the rules.
He said it was common for officers to let him
out of his segregation cell for only half an hour
per day, despite administrative segregation
policies that require inmates be let out of their
cell for a minimum of two hours each day.
"It's a step in the right direction," Annett said
of the proposed changes to the rules around
segregation.
"We have the Canadian Charter that prohibits
torture or cruel and unusual punishment. What
happened to the existing laws and why weren't
some of these things followed?
"In effect, if it's spray painting an 'X' on the
sign that says 'segregation' and then writing
in felt below it, 'structured intervention,' it
might be a symbolic change, and I'm just a little
skeptical."
Federal inmates are getting video visits,
but advocates have concerns
By Jane Gerster, Global News
Federal inmates across the country will soon
be able to connect with family and friends via
video visitation.
Corrections Canada is in the process of
expanding a two-year-old pilot program to
all facilities and has been notifying inmates
throughout the summer that they can apply for
virtual visits.
While that’s welcome news for some serving
sentences on opposite ends of the country
from their family and friends, advocates are
more hesitant to cheer. They worry the move
brings Corrections Canada (CSC) one step clos-
er to making all visits digital.
“It’s very good, as long as it doesn’t affect
the number of contact visits that the person is
allowed to have,” said Catherine Latimer, exec-
utive director of the John Howard Society.
The pilot started two years ago at Dorchester
Penitentiary in New Brunswick, expanded to
CSC’s 11 clustered institutions — those sepa-
rately housing multi-security level offenders
— and, finally, to two women-only institutions
earlier this year. Now, inmates at CSC’s other
29 institutions are being brought online.
At the Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince
Albert, inmates were informed in August. One
man, who is serving an indefinite sentence at
the institution but did not want to be identified
by name for safety reasons, said he’s hopeful
it’ll increase the number of visitors.
“It’s nice to know it’s there if you need it,” he
said.
Although the visits will be via a web-based
platform, the process is still similar to the one
for in-person visitors. People will still need to fill
out the appropriate application forms and be
approved, said Rob Campney, the deputy direc-
tor of preventative security and intelligence at
CSC’s national headquarters.
While every inmate can apply, he said, priority
will go to those whose visits are hampered by
distance. That’s partly because the service will
be limited to regular visiting hours and, at least
for now, there’s just one terminal per institu-
tion.
“It’s really important for our offenders to
have access to their friends and family in the
community,” Campney said. “In some cases,
primarily based on distance, location, or the
visitor’s inability to travel to the institution, it’s
not always possible for the inmate and his or
her family to connect face to face.”
Once approved, inmates will get roughly 50
minutes of monitored screen-to-screen com-
munication. They will have a monitor, camera
and headphones, but no keyboard, mouse, or
direct access to the computer’s hard drive.
Applications should take around six or seven
weeks to process, Campney said. Because the
visits are run using existing staff and existing
technology, it’s “very, very cost neutral.”
“It really supports CSC’s views that positive
contact with family and friends is really import-
ant to the successful reintegration of offend-
ers,” he said.
In theory, this is good news, said Anne Cattral,
federal lead for the Mothers Offering Mutual
Support (MOMS), a support and advocacy
group for those with loved ones behind bars.
Cattral would like to see more information on
the program: how the CSC will ensure access,
how it will prioritize contact and safeguard
virtual visits, even if there are technical issues.
“She’s right to worry,” Latimer said. “We’re
all right to worry because there are so many
bureaucratic advantages to having visits over
the Internet rather than contact.”
There is some reassurance in the mandate
letter sent to CSC’s newly-appointed commis-
sioner, Anne Kelly, she said. That letter, from
the Minister of Public Safety Ralph Goodale,
was published Sept. 5 — the first time Latimer
can recall such a letter being released publicly.
That alone is a good sign, she said, because
“it provides an opportunity for those of us on
the outside to be vigilant and try to hold CSC to
account.”
In the letter, Goodale highlights the role fami-
ly and community connection plays in ensuring
offenders are able to smoothly transition back
into society after their sentence is over.
“I therefore encourage you to promote the
development of these relationships by safely
minimizing barriers to visits and communica-
tion, and exploring options for supervised use
of e-mail,” the letter reads.
“By providing ways of maintaining contact
with the outside world, offenders’ friends and
family can, in a sense, also be partners in effec-
tive preparation for release.”
Why is the number of women in Cana-
da’s prisons increasing?
New report sheds light on the experiences of
imprisoned women across the country
Melanie Woods, THIS
For many female inmates in Canada’s prisons,
a routine trip to the gynecologist could mean
being shackled to a bed. This is according to
a 2016–17 investigative report from Cana-
da’s Office of the Correctional Investigator
(OCI). About one-quarter of female maximum
security prisoners interviewed in the investiga-
tion reported being restrained during off-unit
movement, including health care appointments
and visiting hours with children. According to
the report, male prisoners are not subject to
the same movement restrictions. This is one of
several alarming statistics related to Canada’s
justice system reported in the past year. While
overall rates of adult incarceration declined
slightly in the past decade, rates of women and
Indigenous people in Canada’s prisons are on
the rise. Yet the OCI report notes no increase in
female criminality in Canada over that period.
Here are the numbers:
30%
The approximate increase in the number of
federally sentenced female inmates in the past
decade.
60%
The increase in the number of Indigenous
female inmates over the same period. The
greatest increase came in British Columbia.
In 2016–17, 47 percent of women admitted to
federal custody in B.C. were Indigenous—near-
ly double the percentage 10 years ago.
50%
Indigenous women represent 37 percent of
all women behind bars, but they make up 50
percent of the maximum security population in
federal prisons. Ninety percent of the women
interviewed for the OCI investigation report-
ed being segregated during their maximum
security sentence, and 83 percent also reported
having mental health problems. One region
noted that women in segregation are provided
earplugs to block out the screams of others in
segregation in the same wing.
3
The number of recommendations presented
to the Canadian Senate at an open caucus
this year to keep women out of prisons and
successfully reintegrate offenders into commu-
nities.
1. Strengthen community programs that
alleviate poverty and prevent crime
2. Reform sentencing, classification and
segregation
3. Make the prison system more transparent
and accountable
Ontario’s corrections guru will remain
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
on the job until the end of the year
By Robert Benzie, Toronto Star
Ontario’s independent corrections guru How-
ard Sapers is still on the job.
While the terms of his employment with the
new Progressive Conservative government
changed in what he admitted was a “brutal”
sounding cabinet order in council, he is under
contract until the end of the year.
As reported by the Star on Tuesday, a flurry
of Liberal appointees were defenestrated by
the Tories at Premier Doug Ford’s first cabinet
meeting on June 29.
“The order in council, it sounds brutal, right
— ‘the order in council was revoked’ but the
mechanism is that the term is still two years,”
Sapers said Wednesday.
His work as Ontario’s $330,000-a-year inde-
pendent adviser on correctional system reform
has led to improvements to jails, including the
curbing of segregation in provincial facilities.
Former Liberal premier Kathleen Wynne ap-
pointed him in 2016 to a two-year contract with
an option for a third year.
“The idea of having an opportunity to review it
after the end of 24 months was something that
both myself and the (previous) government
wanted to do and the current government has
respected that. The third year optional was at
my request and the government’s,” he said.
“I’m on the job until Dec. 31 and there will
be between now and then discussions about
anything going forward. From my standpoint
nothing’s changed.”
Sapers is currently completing a report on
institutional violence that will be delivered to
Community Safety and Correctional Services
Minister Michael Tibollo within the next few
months.
“I’m in the process of writing those recom-
mendations,” he said.
Upon taking office, the Tories, who have
pledged to cut $6 billion annually from the
$150-billion provincial budget, moved quickly to
get rid of Liberal appointees serving in various
roles.
4 things you should know about pot
pardons, from a Windsor lawyer
CBC News
A pot pardon isn't actually a pardon at all —
rather, it's referred to as a "record suspension."
Tens of thousands of Canadians could soon
be eligible for a pot pardon, but lawyers warn
about limitations
Liberal government to waive fee, waiting time
for pot pardons
While the crime has been forgiven, the records
are not wiped out. And they might turn up on
certain types of background checks.
That's according to lawyer Pat Ducharme,
who spoke to Windsor Morning guest host Pe-
ter Duck about what a pot pardon really means
and why people who apply for one should be
aware that their past crimes could still follow
them in the future.
1. A pardon isn't actually a pardon, per se
The legal term for a pardon is actually a "record
suspension."
The change happened in 2012 after the
federal government — led by former prime
minister Stephen Harper — modified the rules
for getting a pardon as part of its get-tough-on-
crime Bill C-10.
"Record suspensions weren't nearly as good
[after that] ... because it did not erase a con-
viction. It didn't guarantee entry to any other
country. It just suspended it, kept it in abeyance
and could be brought back at anytime at the
government's will and could be handled exclu-
sively by the parole board," said Ducharme.
He said, before the changes is 2012, govern-
ment looked at pardons as acts of forgiveness
— and the crimes were also forgotten.
"We'd put it away. It's like it didn't happen.
They didn't give them out all that easily, but
when they did give them, it was meaningful."
A 2014 study cites more than 500,000 Cana-
dians have a criminal record for having pot on
their person.
2. No such thing as an expunged record
The average person will not be able to see find
your suspended record if you want to volunteer
somewhere or apply for a job.
But that doesn't mean a record suspension
erases the fact someone committed a crime.
Rather, it keeps the record separate from
other criminal records in the Canadian Police
Information Centre (CPIC) database.
"There are ways to access it for certain people
that need to look at the background of some-
7 // NEWS ON THE BLOCK
one — particular professions," said Ducharme,
3. Border problems can still arise
Whether you're traveling to the U.S. by plane or
driving across the Ambassador Bridge, a record
suspension can still affect your admissibility
into the United States.
One of the questions on the I-94W form —
which is used at land borders — asks if visitors
have ever been arrested or convicted for an
offence or crime involving "moral turpitude."
It also asks about violations related to
controlled substances. Ducharme said being
deceitful on that form is a major risk.
"If they have access to any records that they
know or can find out that you've had such a
conviction or even been charged with that of-
fence and you lie to them, the lie is an absolute
basis to exclude you from the country," he said.
4. Lawyer not essential when applying for a
suspended record
Ducharme said he's received a number of calls
from people about getting a suspended record.
He added hiring a lawyer isn't necessary when
trying to get one.
"We always tell the client it's something they
can do easily themselves. But even with that,
they want some help, so we might have an
administrator in our office help them with the
form."
He hopes the legalization of recreational
cannabis is an indicator of the federal Liberals
embracing forgiveness which was "not the case
for 13 years under the Harper regime.
"I'm optimistic that it will change the tide and
we will get pardons back."
Canada Pension Plan invests millions
in private prison corporations
By Brent Patterson, Rabble
The Canada Pension Plan Investment Board
holds $5.9 million of stock in two U.S.-based
private prison corporations, Geo Group (for-
merly associated with Wackenhut Corrections
Corporation) and CoreCivic (formerly known as
Corrections Corporation of America).
The Crown corporation, which millions of
Canadians outside of Quebec pay into for their
retirement income, holds about $1.7 million
in shares in Tennessee-based CoreCivic and
about $4.2 million in shares in Florida-based
Geo Group.
Documented and The Guardian jointly report,
"One of Canada's biggest pension investment
funds has increased holdings in two U.S.
private companies that run American prisons
and incarcerate the majority of detained immi-
grants."
Think Progress has previously reported that
an average of 35,929 people per day were
detained in immigration detention centres, with
73 per cent (26,240 people) held in facilities
operated by private prison corporations.
The private prisons that hold people arrested
for irregularly entering the United States are
closely tied with Trump's racist anti-migrant
agenda.
In November 2016, Truthdig reported, "In-
vestments in the prison company CoreCivic Co.
became 43 percent more valuable the day after
Trump's election... The value of the correctional
services company Geo Group rose 21 percent."
An August 2017 Truthdig article also noted,
"CoreCivic and GEO Group ... both made large
donations to the Trump campaign."
The New York Times has done a documentary
video about these prisons and notes, "One
picture of private prisons captured in the video
includes barely edible food, indifferent health
care, guard brutality and assorted corner-cut-
ting measures."
The CPP Investment Board is a Crown corpo-
ration independent from the federal govern-
ment but accountable to it. The federal Minister
of Finance, currently Bill Morneau, appoints in-
dividuals to its 12-member Board of Directors.
A spokesperson for the pension plan says,
"CPPIB's objective is to seek a maximum rate of
return without undue risk of loss. This singular
goal means CPPIB does not screen out indi-
vidual investments based on social, religious,
economic or political criteria."
That approach has enabled this country's
public pension plan to also invest in the
transnational mining corporation Goldcorp,
the private, for-profit water company Anglian
Water, and the tar sands oil company Laricina
Energy Ltd.
Documented and The Guardian add, "CPPIB
holds a $186m investment in ExxonMobil, a
$202m investment in the tobacco giant Philip
Morris International, $18.7m in the defense
contractor General Dynamics and $36.8m in
another defense contractor, Raytheon."
After Trump ordered the launch of 59 Raythe-
on-manufactured Tomahawk missiles on Syria
in April 2017, an attack supported by Prime
Minister Justin Trudeau, the company's market
capitalization surged by more than $1 billion.
In her book Undoing Border Imperialism,
author-activist Harsha Walia highlights that the
foreign policies of northern countries create
pressures that lead to forced migration and
that militarized borders then further punish
migrants seeking safety from those situations.
Canada's policies do lead to forced migration,
the Trudeau government's intention to widen
the Canada-U.S. Safe Third Country Agreement
would mean that more asylum seekers would
be returned to the United States, and now this
country's pension plan benefits from the incar-
ceration of asylum seekers in for-profit prisons
in the U.S.
'There isn't anywhere to go': Ontario
halfway house for aging inmates ad-
dressing gap in prison system
1 in 4 federal inmates behind bars is aged 50 or
older, says Canada's correctional investigator
By Debbie Pacheco, CBC
Cliff Strong still wears his clothes to bed — a
habit of having spent decades behind bars and
never knowing who might be there when the
cell doors open.
He's been out on parole for nearly two years
and currently lives at Haley House, a unique
halfway house in Peterborough, Ont., run by
the non-profit Peterborough Reintegration Ser-
vices and funded mainly by Correctional Service
Canada (CSC).
Haley House looks like your average bun-
galow, except its residents are mainly senior
or palliative federal offenders on parole with
housing conditions. Some are terminally ill and
near the end of life, others have chronic diseas-
es or trouble with mobility.
"The [staff] are compassionate," Strong told
Out in the Open.
"Anything that you may have as a problem,
they're hands-on immediately. And just a
feeling of camaraderie, you know. That's very
different from what I'm used to."
In 1975, Strong was convicted of second-de-
gree murder in a stabbing death and sentenced
to life in prison. He was paroled, but later sent
back to prison after sexually assaulting two
girls.
All told, he spent about 36 years behind bars.
"But it was my own fault," he said.
Now the 75-year-old uses a motorized wheel-
chair. Due to Parkinson's, his left hand shakes a
lot. He suffers from diabetes, oedema — which
means his legs are badly swollen — and a bad
hip.
But there are few places that can handle
Strong's needs, which prisoner advocates say is
a problem.
Elderly inmate's death highlights lack of
aging strategy in Canada's prisons
"[Haley House] is basically one of only two that
I'm aware of [across Canada] that caters to this
inmate population. And, to me, it represents
the future of corrections," said Ivan Zinger, Can-
ada's correctional investigator.
When corrections tells me, 'We'd love for
these individuals to be released, but there's
just no capacity,' I tell them, 'You create that
capacity.'
According to the Office of the Correctional
Investigator (OCI), one in four federal inmates
behind bars is 50 or older — which classifies
them as older offenders because serving time
can add about 10 years to a chronological age.
In response to the number of aging offenders
behind bars and on parole, the OCI and the
Canadian Human Rights Commission are set
to release a report later this fall on what they
call "the systemic discrimination of aging and
elderly offenders."
'There isn't anywhere to go'
"The system is trying to play catch-up," said
Jeff Morgan, Haley House's casework manager.
"Nobody stepped back and said, 'Hey, we got
these older guys, what are we going to do with
them? When they get sick, when they go out
and we still have to monitor them, where are
we going to put them?'
"You end up with guys that are sitting inside
[prison], that are granted parole — but they
can't leave, because there isn't anywhere to
go," said Morgan, a retired, 32-year veteran of
the Peterborough Police Service.
It's unfair that an offender who is granted
parole has to stay in prison because no one in
the community can take them, Zinger says.
"When corrections tells me, 'We'd love for
these individuals to be released, but there's
just no capacity,' I tell them, 'You create that
capacity.'"
Zinger believes older offenders who no
longer pose a safety risk should serve the rest
of their sentences in a community setting. It's
significantly cheaper and a more compassion-
ate route, he says, and it's a matter of CSC best
allocating available resources.
"Somebody who is palliative, who is terminal-
ly ill, who has severe mobility restrictions, you
kind of have to scratch your head [and ask],
'What are they doing in a penitentiary?'"
In an email statement to Out in the Open, the
CSC said its framework to address the needs
of older offenders is informed by consultations
with experts in geriatrics, correctional health
care and end-of-life care. That framework will
be reviewed at the end of this fall.
Watchdog calls for 'compassionate' parole as
prison system adopts new assisted death policy
For those requiring palliative care, the CSC
says it "aims to assist offenders in living their
remaining time in comfort (relieve suffering)
and dignity."
Access to supports in prison and community
Supports like a part-time personal support
worker, a dedicated chef, accessible wash-
rooms, an elevator and medical devices all exist
at Haley House, but are not typical at other
halfway houses, Morgan says.
In prison, aids like Strong's motorized wheel-
chair would be "very difficult to get," according
to Zinger. Older inmates often report a lack of
access to medical devices and pain medication,
he said.
After undergoing hip surgery while in prison,
Strong said he had a "long, long struggle" to
get Tylenol 3 because similar medications have
been abused by some in the past.
And he said he wasn't given the painkillers for
as long as he felt he needed them.
"Living between pain medication is a terrible
thing, you know. It's just so scruffy."
For its part, the CSC said "the process for
managing pain within CSC is the same as in the
community" and an inmate's medical history is
first assessed.
Inmates' needs are continually reviewed
and access to accommodations, like canes
or wheelchairs, are adopted as required, the
agency said.
'They don't want to die alone'
Dan Haley — the namesake and founder of
Haley House — is well-versed with the prison
system.
A community chaplain, he's made it his
life's mission to help offenders; he started by
offering Alcoholics Anonymous meetings to
prisoners in the Peterborough area.
Haley says he's seen how hard it is to grow
old behind bars — let alone die there.
"Dying inside, and especially not getting the
pain medication.… You have this old man,
curled up like a baby and crying, being in pain.
And [he] just looks at me and says, 'You gotta
get me out of here.'"
Over the years, while visiting prisons and
working with offenders on the outside, Haley
saw a need for a place that cares specifically for
elderly offenders and those nearing death.
"They just don't get the same treatment —
and I understand why. Narcotics? Prison? We
get it," Haley said.
But that's where community partners like
Haley House come in, he said. The organization
understands there's "checks and balances"
needed with offenders who are transitioning.
Haley sees his role as helping palliative
offenders get ready to go "home." For him, that
means heaven or hell, "which has brought me
into having all kinds of different discussion with
guys."
For offenders on their deathbeds, he asks
what they would say if their victim walked
through the door right then.
"And [that question] broke a lot of guys — big,
tough guys that cried and turned around and
took responsibility for what they've done," he
said.
"Yeah, they've done terrible things," Haley
said. "But they're dying — maybe with a heavy
heart."
As for Strong, he, too, appreciates the power
of mercy offered through Haley House.
"Grace is something that we often don't de-
serve, but which lends itself to us," he said. "It's
a pretty nice thing, a bit of dignity."
Broken system: Why is a quarter of
Canada’s prison population Indigenous?
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
By Vicki Chartrand, The Conversation
In the wake of the acquittal of Gerald Stanley
in the death of Colten Boushie, there have
been loud calls for reform to address Canada’s
blatant systemic racism in the criminal justice
system.
Boushie, 22, died after being shot by Stanley
in the back of the head as he sat in an SUV on a
farm near Biggar, Sask.
The Canadian justice system works against
Indigenous people at every level, from police
checks and arrests to bail denial and detention,
sentencing miscarriages and disparities and
high incarceration rates.
These trends are also well-documented in
countries like the United States, Australia and
New Zealand. It is clear that the problem lies in
our justice systems.
Around the time that Canada started receding
its formal “Indian assimilation” policies in the
1950s, including the end of the residential
school requirement, penitentiary and child wel-
fare systems started to quietly assume a new
role in the lives of Indigenous people.
In fact, prior to the 1960s, Indigenous people
only represented one to two per cent of the
federal prison population. The rates have con-
sistently increased every year since.
The Office of the Correctional Investigator
reports the incarceration rate of Indigenous
people is now at 26.4 per cent of the federal
prison population, while they comprise only
four per cent of the Canadian population.
Incidentally, the Canadian crime rate has fallen
in the last 20 years.
Placed in segregation
Not only are Indigenous people more likely to
be imprisoned, but they are also more often
subjected to some of the most restrictive levels
of punishment, including segregation, forced
interventions, higher security classifications,
involuntary transfers, physical restraints and
self-harm.
Kinew James died of a heart attack after the
emergency call button in her cell was routinely
ignored at the Saskatoon Regional Psychiatric
Centre.
Eddie Snowshoe committed suicide after 162
days in solitary confinement at the Edmonton
maximum security institution.
Renee Acoby accumulated an additional 21
years of charges in prison, spent more than
half of her time in segregation, and was eventu-
ally given a dangerous offender designation for
a series of prison hostage-takings. She is now
effectively behind bars for life.
Addressing these deeply problematic prison
realities is currently at the forefront of the
government of Canada’s criminal justice review,
including two House of Commons studies and
one by a Senate committee.
In considering remedies, two important
issues are at play.
Imprisoned more often
First, Indigenous people are more often crimi-
nalized and imprisoned for acts that are linked
to poverty, lack of educational and employment
opportunities, lifestyles of substance use,
mental health concerns and histories of sexual
abuse, violence and trauma — in other words,
colonialism.
Second, prisons are characterized by au-
thoritarianism, power imbalances, restriction
of movement and activities, isolation, lack of
freedom of association and enforcement of
sometimes arbitrary and trivial demands. Pris-
on environments often reflect and even perpet-
uate the very trauma and violence experienced
by Indigenous people.
The federal government would do well to
consider community options.
According to the Parliamentary Budget
Officer, it costs upwards of $343,810 to incar-
cerate one woman for a year and $223,687 to
incarcerate a man. The community placement
option, on the other hand, is priced at $85,653
per year per person, and parole costs as little
as $39,084.
There are already existing remedies in the
Correctional and Conditional Release Act, Sec-
tions 81 and 84, that allow for agreements in
the community where Indigenous and non-In-
digenous prisoners can serve their sentence
and parole in a supported way.
If we want to alleviate the conditions that fos-
ter conflict and harm in the first place, we also
need to ensure that basic national standards
and human rights are being met for Indigenous
Continued on page 8
8 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
The prisoner's plague: The abhorrent curse of incarceration
A series composed by a prisoner’s
daughter.
A Plea for Help
   A parent’s imprisonment is a pun-
ishment not only served by the con-
victed. As we reside outside of the
prison, freedom does not live along
with us. Freedom has a price-tag and
prerequisites we do not have, as we
are deemed lower than ‘law-abiders’.
With the remorseless actions of the
justice system, they show that as a
family, we should be considered just
as malicious for actions caused by
an individual parent. The inexcus-
able manipulation we’ve endured is
because of the ignorance as well as
arrogance of the government.
It is safe to say our rights as human
beings are being violated; and there
must be an end to this. Extreme
consequentiality is a must for it will
repeat itself throughout history if
not. Though, as the police play the
majority of the shamefulness this life
leads, there are other factors that
make this life just as miserable as
you may have thought. This series
is intended to explain the struggles
of a young adult’s life with a parent
inside.
A dad of a dysfunctional family is
abducted unknowingly by police in
the late summer months of 2009.
His common law wife reports, “That
he had gone out, and simply never
returned home”. Hamilton news
station CHCH NEWS, later reports that
he, who’s Hamilton’s most noto-
rious criminal had been acquired
allegedly for murder. When article
titled: “Sad end to missing person’s
case” becomes public in October of
2010; (published by CHCHNEWS.CA), it
answers the question his family has
been wondering for 14 insufferable
months. Now, the mother of his
three young children will watch their
children grow without him. However
the brunt of the storm has yet to
come.
A life lived with an alleged crim-
inal is never uneventful to say the
least. Every day there’s something
new revolving around the same old
problem; but the issue that grinds
the teeth of many is the abuse of au-
thority in the legality system. Having
a sense of authority and abusing it
are two different things, so take note.
An example of brutality is present-
ed below which is based on true
events.
A young girl looks over at a swat
team beginning to swarm in front of
her house. Men in black uniforms are
standing tall with their guns erected to
the sky. Their eyes of evil bulge through
their unbreakable masks of guilt, as
they watch the girl sprint from the
doorstep into the darkness of the alley-
way. The child is retrieving her brothers
from the park, as requested by her
mother. This, for the young girl only
seemed like bad timing; but it would
end up being so much more.
Upon approaching the alleyway,
there are a few brief moments of chat
between the officer in command and
the girl. The conversation ends abruptly
when the girl is asked for her name, as
she denies the answer before saying
her lawyer is not present; and she has
the right to remain silent.
And instead of answering in a civil
manner the officer yells “Tell me your
f__ing name or you’re coming with me!”
The girl calmly responds the same;
before being physically assaulted by the
officer in command. The neighbors that
circle the street are commentating and
viewing; as the child is swung up into
the air by a fist that engages the child’s
clothing forcibly.
Not satisfied by the answer given, the
officer drags the child into the middle
of the street where the police car is
stagnant but running. He is forcibly
attempting to abduct the girl, alike her
dad; inhumanely. She cries as her red
hands suffocated between his and a
pair of handcuffs starts to ache. She
just wants the suffering and confusion
to end. He repeats his question again,
before threatening again to throw the
child into the car. She again gives him
the same answer now apologetically.
She is screeching in agony and humili-
ation as everyone around her watches
with hideous smiles carved onto their
faces like jack-o-lanterns. Finally, after
screaming for so long, her mother runs
out of the house to intervene.
These indecencies become grossly
apparent when police officers are
physically abusing children, while
verbally harassing them for informa-
tion they have the right to keep to
themselves when a lawyer is not
present.
This scenario presents exactly why
we are hesitant to open our doors
and answer our phones!
The behavior shown by the justice
system is absolutely unacceptable,
yet little to no penalization is served
by them. Following that thought,
who really are the criminals here? By
no means does this articulate that
the misdeeds of legitimate criminals
should bypass retribution; but it
does mean that the police should be
under the same enforcement. Maybe
then the egregious treatment prison-
ers receive will cease.
The next problem is a mental com-
ponent of struggling. To me, this is
truly the worst part of the whole mis-
fortune. There are several reasons
why I think that this kind of exposure
we are inclined to see causes the
child to suffer. The other parent is
alone, too. The other parent is afraid,
too. The other parent wants the
thoughtless abuse of human rights to
end, too. The difference is that they
have the kids and the obligation to
take care of them, alone. They have
to work twice as hard to prevent
negligence to the children or eviction
from the home. Not to mention that
Child Protection Services are nothing
but a profitable business (being in
the system I would know), so their
help is minimal or insufficient. They
are non-governmental but they make
me question otherwise. Anyway, they
are truly on their own to take care of
those kids, and I’ll tell you that it’s the
most difficult job, being and watching
a single parent.
Have you ever heard your moth-
er cry? Have you ever heard your
father mutter that he hopes he dies
under his breath? Do you watch your
mother day-by-day become anti-so-
cial with her children? Does your
father lock himself up in his bedroom
all day every day, after losing his job
from being blackmailed by the po-
lice? If so, looks like you’re watching
your parent suffer. Congratulations!
There’s absolutely nothing you can
do about that but watch them drown
themselves in their own sadness. You
must feel like absolute feculence, and
it’s all thanks to the belittlement that
we receive from the enforcement
of justice. It truly has nothing to do
with the criminal unless the crime
was dealt to a family member of
their own. Once extracted that family
should be left alone. Unless foul play
is within licit grounds, they should
not be attacked.
Because of the unholy manipula-
tion; my mother has lost her mind,
and her well-being is gargling down
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
Photo by Kristina Tripkovic on Unsplash
the drain as I write this. She has lost
her job, and she has lost her dignity.
And with time CAS will swoop and
steal the kids rather than help this
desperate mother in need. My moth-
er has lost everything it took her
whole life to get, and she will never
get it back. She has blindly followed
the path that led her nowhere, and
it was the misguidance of the police
and the distrust of others that got
her there. More mayhem than relief
is felt mutually in our family when
the sirens go off. The worst of it all is
that no matter how hurt I was, there
was nothing I could change. I just had
to keep hearing my mother cry until
CAS abducted me and revoked her
custody. Her whereabouts now are
unknown.
After these issues have been
addressed, what connects them to
the struggle of a young adult? It’s
affecting our minds, the thoughts we
have and it will impact the decisions
we make. We also are forced through
life without a role-model or parental
guidance. We can’t relate to other
people! Holidays are meaningless be-
cause it’s about ‘spending time with
family’; especially Christmas. As soon
as you realize how much stress it
causes it’s no longer fun to celebrate.
You constantly have to ask your-
self, “What would my parent do?” in
times of trouble. You are alone and
feel helpless more times than most.
You don’t want to open their letters
because all it does is make you cry…
But how else will you know anything
about them, besides searching them
up on the web? You feel like you are
watched, and depending who’s been
sent to the bin – you will be. You
don’t feel safe when they are gone.
You miss and love them wholeheart-
edly despite what hell this is putting
you through. You ask yourself con-
stantly: “Why am I being punished for
being born?”
The hurt and the confusion don’t
end there. It doesn’t only happen at
home either, it happens wherever we
go. It pains us immensely the longer
they’re away from us. Please un-
derstand where we’re coming from
when we say that our hearts are
beyond mending. Even if you hate
them, there is still a piece of you that
is imprisoned. Give that a thought.
P.s I love you Dad
---
The high proportion of Indige-
nous prisoners
News on the Block continued
from page 7
people.
The private members’ Bill C-262,
which outlines the implementation
of the United Nations Declaration on
the Rights of Indigenous People, just
passed its second reading.
Approving this bill would ensure
some of the most basic rights for In-
digenous communities, including the
provision of clean water, electricity,
employment, education and ade-
quate social and health services.
In its calls to action, the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission of
Canada has recommended that the
federal, provincial and territorial
governments make a commitment
to eliminate the over-representation
of Indigenous people in custody over
the next decade.
If the federal government takes
up this call, prisons would no longer
be part of the solution. As noted by
Romeo Saganash, NDP’s critic for
Intergovernmental Indigenous Af-
fairs, “there will be no reconciliation
without justice.”
Prisoners in Canada de-
nied the right to vote in
some city, town elections
By Fiona Bennell
Who has been allowed to vote in
Canada has changed significantly over
the course of the country’s history.
Whether that meant being poor, a
woman, a person of colour, disabled,
or Indigenous, many different groups
of people have had to fight for the
right to vote. Prisoners are one of
those groups of people who have been
engaged in a long fight to vote.
Many changes to voting laws were
made possible by the establishment
of the Canadian Charter of Rights and
Freedoms in 1982. The Charter serves
as the backbone for many legal chal-
lenges, as despite the Charter requir-
ing equality under the law, laws are not
automatically updated to match the
changing standards of the times. After
the establishment of the Charter pris-
oners began fighting for voting rights
in their provinces with varying degrees
of success. Prisoners' right to vote in
federal and provincial elections was
eventually gained through the pursuit
of Sauvé v Canada, which challenged
the Canadian Elections Act. The suit
began in 1992, by 1993 the provisions
that denied prisoners serving less than
2 years voting rights was taken out. It
took another 10 years of appeals for
prisoners with longer sentences to be
able to vote in federal and provincial
elections.
Despite Canadian prisoners having
the right to vote federally and pro-
vincially, voting is not easily accessi-
ble to people inside. Either through
negligence or malice, prisoners have
not always been given the necessary
voting information or ballets on time
for elections. Processes around voting
are not well defined or standardized
across institutions. In my own research
(as someone on the outside), looking
for guidance on these processes,
official information simply wasn’t easily
available.
On a municipal (city/town) level, vot-
ing rights become a little more compli-
cated, and even more time consuming
to find information on. Municipal laws
generally defer to provincial/territorial
governments, so every province/ter-
ritory has its own municipal elections
laws. I took the time to investigate the
municipal election acts, and for the
most part they are wordy and non-spe-
cific towards whether prisoners can
vote. There are exceptions, such as
Ontario, Manitoba, and BC. To try and
get more information I called up the
capital city of each province/territory to
see if they knew the laws and proce-
dures around if prisoners could vote.
Truthfully, this was a very frustrating
experience. I was generally transferred
to multiple lines and ended up leaving
a lot of messages that may or may not
continued on page 9
9 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Concrete Blossoms: a column for writers who
self-identify as women, genderqueer and non-bi-
nary
The Only Skill You Need
to Survive Prison
By Emily O’Brien
When I told people I would be going to
prison, they were flabbergasted. They were
also worried. Very worried. In fact, I think they
were more worried than I was. Upon them
hearing the news, I usually received one of
the following (slightly predictable) concerns:
“So you must be like so scared!”
“Eeek! What if you get beat up!”
“So, do you like, know how to fight?”
Contrary to what many people believe, you
don’t need to be a “fighter” to survive prison.
Did it cross my mind? Sure it did. But even
then I wasn’t scared. It became very clear to
me that the majority of people are incredibly
influenced by the media and other sources
of entertainment about what really goes on
in prison. Going in, I prepared for just about
anything because I was also one of those
people. I took self-defence lessons. I became
friends with a former inmate who gave me
the run down on the things I needed to know
- what to say, what to do, and how to act. I
knew it was going to be a challenge regard-
less, but I welcomed it. If there was violence
there was violence, and I would have to try
my best to avoid it in any way possible. If I
had to fight, I knew I was feisty enough to de-
fend myself, but I would not consider myself
physically aggressive. As I am nearing my day
parole date, I can safely say that although I
witnessed many stereotypical prison culture
behaviours, you by no means have to be
subject to it. The only skill you need to survive
in prison is the capacity to adapt. If you can
adapt, you will be jussst fine.
By definition, to adapt means to, “put
oneself in harmony with changed circum-
stances” (Websters, 1988). In other words,
you take what you have and make it work
for you, not against you. Lucky for me, when
it came time for me to turn myself in, I had
already spent a lot of my adult life adapting.
Whenever I would go to a new school, I would
adapt. Whenever I would move to a new city,
I would adapt. Whenever I would start a new
job or quit one, I would adapt. Whenever I
would begin any new kind of relationship,
I would adapt. My zest for life and endless
desire to explore the different parts of the
world forced me to adapt to wherever I went.
When I moved to Indonesia and lived with a
Muslim host family for 8 weeks, I definitely
had to adapt because it was a different way
of life than what I was used to, but I abso-
lutely loved it. I saw prison as just another
life event that required me to adapt. Prison
is like its own country, with its own citizens,
laws, and languages. Once I familiarized
myself with the institutional policies and the
infamous ‘Con Code’, it was relatively easy to
adapt. I observed four major (yet very simple)
rules to abide by to avoid getting into any
possible altercations: #1) Don’t rat, #2) Don’t
steal #3) Don’t get involved in other people’s
relationships, #4) don’t talk shit, period. To
me, those were easy. I didn’t do that anyways.
It was common sense. I came in with the goal
of getting out, not getting involved. Much to
Dehumanization Over Rehabilitation
By Nolan R. Turcotte
It is very easy for society to look at prisoners
with disgust and feel as if we are getting exactly
what we deserve. Due to society overdosing on
ignorance they have proven how hypocritical
they truly are. They view us as vicious individ-
uals who are incapable of being compassion-
ate, when in reality they refuse to offer any
compassion to us. I agree that if any member
of humanity breaks the law they should receive
a proper punishment, but it should never cross
over into the category of “Cruel and Unusual”.
We, the incarcerated population, are sons,
daughters, fathers, mothers, brothers and
sisters.
Ultimately, we are human beings, but un-
fortunately once we become prisoners that
somehow seems to be forgotten. We have
been handed down our sentences from judges,
which is considered to be the appropriate pun-
ishment for the crimes we’ve committed, but
the punishment doesn’t stop there. It contin-
ues throughout the duration of our sentences
in the most inhumane ways possible. The
Correctional Service of Canada is expected to
aid us prisoners in achieving rehabilitation, but
truthfully they are doing the exact opposite. In
doing so, they are violating legislation, as well
the disappointment of every single one of
my straight male friends, I had no interest in
becoming “gay for the stay”. Sorry guys! Keep
dreamin’.
As long as everyone follows those four
aforementioned rules, they won’t have
problems. I didn’t need to put on some act
and pretend that I was some ruthless hardo
criminal, because I wasn’t. I didn’t care much
for the jail drama, I cared about my own goals,
and I cared about the girls that I had gotten
close with. I had nothing to prove to the other
inmates. I had things to prove to the Parole
Board, my family, and myself. That was it.
Those were my main points of focus, so I
adapted my behaviours to align with reaching
those goals. People often confuse adapting
with fitting in and doing what everyone else is
doing. That’s not adapting, that’s copying, and
they are two very different things.
Had I wanted to get involved with the more
reckless activities in the prison sub-culture,
I could have, but I didn’t want to. This was
definitely not a permanent place for me,
but whether I liked it or not it was my place
for ten months. That’s it. No more, no less
(Okay well maybe slightly more because God
knows when space will become available at
the halfway house, no joke). I was offered cig-
arettes and pills more than once, but turned
them down. I did not want them, and I wasn’t
tempted whatsoever. I knew turning down
such “normal” jail activities made me stand
out, but I didn’t care. This display of not giving
a fuck what people thought about me com-
bined with the fact that I wasn’t trying to be
someone I wasn’t allowed me to gain respect
on the compound. People trusted me because
I never inflated who I was, and everything
I said about myself I could back up (or was
backed up by Google, when people inevitably
Googled me, that’s just what people do here).
I spent most of my time in the library or
building my business or exercising. Most peo-
ple were excited for me and supported it, but
there were some disgruntled by it because
they didn’t understand how I could be getting
so much accomplished and they grumbled at
the fact that I managed to be cheerful most of
the time. Because I was a seasoned veteran at
adapting, using what I had to make my time
go as productively as possible wasn’t as big
of a challenge for me as most people would
expect. I’ve always had a knack for building
things out of nothing and improvising when I
had to. Other inmates have also been helpful
in sharing their jail survival ‘hacks’. I have al-
ways asked for help when I needed it. I never
felt ashamed to be honest with people when
I was struggling with something. I got to know
the various mental health resources on com-
pound to help with the transition. If my shoe
broke, I would fix it. If I needed to sleep better,
I would make myself a sleeping mask. Even
the most ridiculous rules and regulations I
learned to adapt to over time. You get used to
the glacial pace of just about everything. You
get used to the plastic crunchy mattresses, the
flashlights shining in your eyeballs throughout
the night, the denied visits, the incomplete
paperwork, missing mail, the high-priced
phone calls, and the lack of structured days. It
makes it easier to adapt if you keep reminding
yourself that this is not permanent.
This is not your home. This should be no
one’s home. It’s just a temporary stop, so
don’t get too comfortable.
as the Commissioner’s Directives, which they
continuously get away with.
CSC staff are supposed to be establishing
constructive relationships with offenders to
encourage our successful reintegration into the
community by demonstrating honesty, fairness
and integrity. Staff members are obligated to
promote a safe and secure workplace, free of
mistreatment, harassment and discrimination,
and respect our cultural, racial, religious and
ethnic background, as well as our civil and legal
rights. An employee is considered to have com-
mitted an infraction if they maltreat, humiliate,
harass, discriminate and/or is abusive, by word
or action, to an offender or our friends and
relatives, also if they fail to report situations of
mistreatment, harassment and/or discrimina-
tion of offenders by employees.
Everything they are forbidden to do is occur-
ring on a daily basis, whether you believe it or
not, which causes prison to be an extremely
negative and polluted environment. We are
constantly being belittled and antagonized to
the point where it has become mentally, emo-
tionally and spiritually torturous.
When it ends up getting physical between
officers and prisoners the use of force always
becomes excessive. The officers are trained to
control prisoners by deploying pepper spray,
getting them to the ground and handcuffing
them. So, why did a gang of officers proceed
to repeatedly smash my face against the floor,
spray two cans of gas down my throat, wrap a
spit mask around my mouth, strangle me with
their hands, stomp on my ribs and attempt to
break my fingers and ankles?
The protocol for professionalism isn’t being
enforced at all in the penitentiaries across Can-
ada. I have been to five different maximum-se-
curity prisons in the past 12 years. Some are
worse than others, but regardless they are all
torture chambers. I am currently in Millhaven
Institution where the Union is trying to ban us
Indigenous offenders from smudging, which
violates Section 2(a) of the Canadian Charter
of Rights and Freedoms. What does Truth and
Reconciliation really mean when Canadians
who work for the Government are still partici-
pating in assimilation?
I’ve seen prisoners of all sorts of backgrounds
suffer when they shouldn’t be suffering. I know
an African man who was told by an officer that
the only job he’d get when he is released is
working in a cornfield.
I was in segregation with a Scottish man who
cut his wrists and when the officers did their
hourly round they just laughed at him and
walked away.
I had a native friend from the Tsimshian Na-
tion who died in prison because the institution-
al physician refused to change his medication
when he was complaining it wasn’t working. My
friend lost his life due to a civilian’s ignorance.
Any one of us can be next. Is that really what
we deserve?
I personally believe that CSC does not expect
us to succeed, but I find it ironic and extreme-
ly frustrating how we are required to take
responsibility for our actions when CSC doesn’t
hold themselves to the same standards. When
we are mistreated by officers, or any other em-
ployee, there is no way to prove that they are
under violation of legislation. So, if we choose
to go the route of utilizing the Complaint and
Grievance process our complaints usually get
denied. Also, once we file a complaint against
an employee they are notified by the Grievance
Coordinator, which then leads to us receiving
negative consequences by that particular staff
member, as well as their colleagues.
For example, if I chose to file a complaint
against the Visits and Correspondence Depart-
ment my mail and visits would be at risk, even
though CSC employees are supposed to en-
courage offenders to maintain healthy, positive
community support.
On top of that, in regards to CSC employees
retaliating against a prisoner for filing a com-
plaint, legislation states;
CCRA, Section 91: Every offender shall have
complete access to the offender grievance
procedure without negative consequences.
Canadian Human Rights, Section 14.1: It is
discriminatory practice for a person against
whom a complaint has been filed under Part
3, or any person acting on their behalf, to
retaliate or threaten retaliation against the
individual who filed the complaint or the
alleged victim.
Canadian Human Rights, Section 59: No per-
son shall threaten, intimidate, or discrim-
inate against an individual because that
individual has made a complaint or given
evidence or assisted in any way in respect of
the initiation or prosecution of a complaint
or other proceedings under this Part, or
because that individual purposed to do so.
CCRA, Section 69: No person shall adminis-
ter, instigate, consent to or acquiesce in any
cruel, inhumane, or degrading treatment or
punishment of an offender.
How can CSC employees be considered
law-abiding citizens when they deliberately
disobey the laws that are put in place for them
to follow? To me it seems that when these
average individuals put on their uniforms they
teleport to a world where they become the
Justice league and we are the Super Villains.
They completely forget that they, along with
ourselves, are human beings. Therefore, they
are in violation of Section 15 of the Canadian
Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which states,
“Every individual is equal before and under
the law and has the right to the equal pro-
tection and equal benefit of the law without
discrimination and, in particular, without
discrimination based on race, national or
ethnic origin, colour, religion, sex, age or
mental or physical disability.”
I, along with many other prisoners, do not feel
like we are receiving the equal protection we
have a legal entitlement to, due to the injus-
tices we suffer from by the hands of our fellow
Canadians. In all honesty although I was born
here, I can’t really consider myself a citizen of
this country because I have never truly been
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
treated like a Canadian, in the way the Charter
claims I should be treated.
One thing I am unable to wrap my head
around is that the majority of society insists
on believing that CSC employees are incapa-
ble of breaking the law. Well, doesn’t society
watch the news or read the newspapers? Police
officers are murdering people of all ages across
North America, as well as using excessive force
on individuals who aren’t acting in a way where
restraint is necessary. If police officers have
the propensity to commit such brutal acts of
violence out in the open, just imagine what cor-
rectional officers are capable of getting away
with behind big fucking walls.
As far as I’m concerned, the Correctional
Service of Canada is nothing but a powerful
gang hiding behind a flawed law and a corrupt
Constitution. If this country truly believes in
justice, then prisoners should be receiving it
as well, because the violation of our justice not
only causes us to suffer, it also subjects our
loved ones to a degree of suffering when they
haven’t done anything wrong.
Prisoner voting rights
cont'd from pg 8
get returned. Only some of the people I was
able to talk to know the answer to the question
of how prisoners are given access to the voting
procedure.
Finding information on essential services
shouldn’t be this hard for anyone, including
prisoners. I have the benefit of full internet
and phone access and I still struggle to find
this information. The limitations to prisoner
information access could make finding out
about these processes virtually impossible. Not
being allowed to vote, having to jump through
a thousand hoops to vote, or not having access
to information on voting municipally is a
suppression of prisoners’ votes. These issues
mirror voter suppression in other areas of Can-
ada and the United States; while people may
have the right to vote, through district gerry-
mandering (ie manipulation of the boundaries
of an electoral constituency to favor one party
or class), voter ID laws, mail voting and proxy
policies, people’s votes are being purposefully
suppressed.
Prisoners still have a stake in municipal
politics just as much as provincial or federal.
How programs and services are distributed
and provided is impacted by municipal politics.
Things like policing, housing, municipal taxes,
transportation, and education are all largely
controlled by municipalities. The vast majority
of prisoners will get out and be impacted by the
choices made by governments while inside and
should continue to have a choice in how their
city or township is run.
Provincial and territorial municipalities and
prisoner voting rights:
Alberta: Prisoners who haven’t been sen-
tenced, or who have been sentenced less
than 6 months retain the right to vote. Other
prisoners do not.
British Columbia: Prisoners here have the
right to vote from the district they lived in previ-
ous to incarceration (in BC) or where a spouse,
parent or dependent resides.
Manitoba: Prisoners have the right to vote if
they were a resident in MB before incarcer-
ation, otherwise they vote in the district the
prison is in.
Newfoundland, New Brunswick and Sas-
katchewan: You must be a resident of either
of these provinces, but the voting laws are
unclear as to whether prisoners can vote here
or not.
Nova Scotia and Quebec: We were not able to
reach a representative who could explain the
voting laws, and those that were available on-
line were very unclear and difficult to interpret.
North West Territories: Gaining residency
here takes 12 months and the laws are unclear
as to whether prisoners can vote or not
Nunavut: a representative told us that voting
for prisoners can happen through mail-in
ballot.
Ontario: Prisoners who have been sentenced
do not have the right to vote in municipal
elections, but those who are on remand or
detention do retain the right. However, the pro-
cess is extremely difficult, and involves having
someone from the outside requesting a ballot
at city hall, bringing in a ballot on election day,
which you fill out, and they then must go to city
hall to submit it.
Prince Edward Island: If you are from one of
the four major municipalities in PEI, then you
have the right to vote via mail in ballot.
Yukon: Prisoners from Yukon do not have the
right to vote in municipal elections
Please note: these voting rights involve municipal
elections. All prisoners retain the right to vote in
provincial and federal elections, so please exercise
that right if you so choose!
10 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Be a True Revolutionary - Become the Change
By Nick Paccione
Deep down inside we all wish for a kinder
and more caring world in which to live. Such a
world, I contend, would require alternatives to
violent & dehumanizing “correctional” centres
that fail miserably to “correct,” that provide
no remedy for victims of harm, and that do
nothing to address the conditions that cause
violence and social harm. It requires, too, that
we challenge the structures of oppression
(capitalism, patriarchy, racism, the punitive
penal system...) that serve to both protect the
powerful and the privileged and punish the
very scapegoats they help to create in the first
place, and that we replace these with genuinely
democratic policies and practices governed
by values like fairness, equality, and caring.
A better world, then, requires revolutionary
change. But here’s the thing: such change will
never come about unless we fully own up to
the harms that we’ve created and become
ourselves the kind of change we want. Revolu-
tionary change, in other words, must begin with
each & every one of us.
I myself am a recovering sex addict serving
my 20th straight year of an indeterminate sen-
tence. Sex addiction, like any serious addiction,
can be devastating. By 13, I was already using
sexual arousal like a drug to numb all kinds of
unpleasant emotions and to “escape” from real-
ity. By 14, I was selling myself just to finance my
addiction - i.e., to pay for porn, sex literature,
phone sex, peep shows, sex workers, etc. I
knew even then that I had a serious problem
and that I was way too obsessed with women
and sex, but I was too ashamed and too afraid
to talk to anyone about it. So I remained silent,
increasingly isolated myself, and turned ever
more towards sexual arousal to cope.
I would come to subordinate just about every-
thing (school, friends, family, self-respect…)
to procuring and maintaining a sexual high,
behaving in increasingly selfish & dangerous
ways and creating ever more suffering in the
process.
My first stint inside, a 7-year term, wouldn’t
help. In fact, I would end up leaving prison at
my warrant expiry even more desperate than
when I had entered. Six months later, I would
re­offend and subsequently be designated a
“dangerous offender” (D.O.).
Inside, my condition would only worsen, with
my thoughts becoming increasingly dark &
violent. I was haunted by and would come to
believe the words of the Crown-aligned psychi-
atrist at my D.O. trial, who declared that in his
30 years of practice he had never met anyone
more potentially dangerous than I, and that I
was, to use his word, “untreatable.”
I eventually developed a warped sense of
pride in and would wrap my entire identity
around my being an untreatable and particu-
larly dangerous “dangerous offender.” Indeed,
I derived so much validation from this identity
that I intentionally began to behave in ways
to defend & reinforce it. The more fear I could
provoke, the better.
As I continued to create and to experience
much suffering, I would come increasingly to
feel as if I were being torn apart from the inside
by two seemingly opposite Nicks - a sensitive
& tender-hearted “good” Nick with an ear
very finely attuned to what the poet William
Wordsworth described as “the still, sad music
of humanity,” and a depraved & coldly-calculat-
ing “bad” Nick given to dark & evil thoughts and
passions. It became almost more than I could
bare.
Sadly, I felt utterly helpless to do anything
about it. Many times did I sobbingly break
down and vow to change only to rapidly sink
back into my destructive & self-defeating ways.
It was as if I had no free will of my own, no
power whatsoever to control my own destiny.
It was thus out of sheer exhaustion and utter
despair that in November of 2016 I turned to
Buddhism for help. In reading about Buddhism,
I came to understand that it was about essen-
tially one thing - suffering and its cessation.
This really hit home with me. I had also heard
and read many accounts about how mind-
fulness meditation, a central Buddhist prac-
tice, had in and of itself helped to transform
people’s minds and dramatically improve their
lives. I was sold.
With nothing to lose, l decided to give Bud-
dhism & mindfulness meditation an earnest
shot. Well, almost two years have since passed
and, oh, the difference it’s made! To quote
from a previous article of mine on mindful-
ness meditation (Cell Count, Spring 2017), “at
a very subtle level I can feel the entire pattern
of my life changing, with negativities gradually
dissolving, feel calmer, lighter, am more patient
and good-humoured, more sensitive to the
needs and suffering of others, and...more in
control of myself - of my actions, my urges,
and even my thoughts. You might say that
mindfulness meditation has allowed me to tap
into a wellspring of free will and to reclaim my
power...” All of this is even truer today than it
was then. To be sure, things aren’t perfect and
I’ve still a long way to go, but compared to how
things were, it truly is day and night!
And things only continue to get better. I’ve
recently completed the ICPM High-Intensi-
ty program with an almost embarrassingly
positive final report to show for it, and, after
having spent the last 17 years in this Port-Cart-
ier “max,” I am finally being recommended for
a transfer to a “medium,” scheduled for early
next year. Oh, and get this: I, the once dreaded
and “untreatable” dangerous offender, have
just been asked to speak about positive change
in front of a group of university students visit-
ing next month. Me! Who would’ve thunk it.
Concomitant with this positive turn-around
has been a dramatic shift in my sense of per-
sonal identity, which though once floating on
the flotsam of a shattered self is now securely
anchored in a cemented conviction in my own
potential for recovery and positive change.
Of course, with personal positive change
comes personal social change, the two of which
are inseparably linked & mutually reinforc-
ing. In fact, if there’s one thing I’ve learnt as a
Buddhist, it’s that we’re all interconnected &
interdependent, and that my own happiness &
suffering is thus inseparably tied to the happi-
ness & suffering of others - all others, regard-
less of creed, colour, gender, sexual preference,
and all other superficial & ultimately irrelevant
distinctions.
This is why I now firmly align myself with the
revolutionary but non-violent social activist
camp, and why too I think that kindness &
respect towards others, including towards
those we might dislike or be fiercely at odds
with, is always and absolutely essential if we’re
to move in a positive direction, both personally
& socially.
Of course, the process of positive change
does not come with any guarantee of success,
but there are all kinds of things you can do
to increase your chances at success, such as
taking responsibility for past actions; address-
ing risk factors & psychological/emotional
issues with honesty; examining your lifestyle
and exploring ways to make it more positive
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
Photo by Daniel Jensen on Unsplash
& rewarding; taking physical care of yourself;
educating yourself; nurturing positive rela-
tionships; getting involved with outside orgs &
groups, which can make you feel more useful &
connected and even help you to develop posi-
tive contacts and expand your support network
- I mean, the list is endless. At bottom, it’s all
about nurturing your body, mind, & spirit--and
by “spirit,” or what Buddhists call “Buddha
nature,” I mean nothing other than your innate
potential for love, connection, and freedom.
Hence the importance of incorporating
spirituality into your life. Any spiritual path is
as valid as any other if it genuinely helps to
nurture the spirit. Zakaria Amara, a fellow Cell
Count contributor, has a different spiritual path
from mine: God is central to his; not to mine.
Yet, Zakaria, through his articles, has inspired
me and helped to nurture my spirit in a big
way. (Thank you, brother.) Respecting other
spiritual paths and being open to learning from
them is so important, for in the end it’s not so
much about the path as it is about the spirit. So
nurture your spirit - it could be the best thing
you do for yourself.
And if you want further to increase signifi-
cantly your chances at success, be careful how
you respond to things: you can’t always control
events, but you can learn to control how you
respond to any given event. For example,
you can respond to an abusive cell search by
violently flipping out or by taking a few deep
breaths and then with a cooler head consider-
ing your options in dealing with the situation
without risking everything you’ve worked for.
Two different responses with two dramatically
different outcomes. Controlling your response,
then, is crucial.
This is where mindfulness meditation can be
very useful. First, what is mindfulness? Simply,
it’s intentionally living with awareness in the
present moment without judging it or blind-
ly reacting to it. Ideally, mindfulness should
be done throughout the day. Typically, it’s
developed through formal meditative practice
by assuming any seated posture with the back
straight and bringing all the attention to the
rhythm of the breath without controlling it but
instead just observing it as it is. Sensations,
emotions, thoughts - these will continually arise
and pass, just as everything does. The key is
not to cling to or to reject them, but instead to
calmly and momentarily observe them, always
returning the attention to the rhythm of the
breath.
Training the mind is a little like training a pup-
py to sit: Every time it wanders, you gently bring
it back... The mind, like the puppy, eventually
gets the point and learns to do your bidding,
rather than the other way around. Every mo-
ment of mindful awareness has a strong impact
on the harmful reactive tendencies accumu-
lated in the unconscious, so the more you
practice mindfulness, the more will you think
& act in ways that are positive for yourself and
for others, and the freer and more in charge of
your life will you become.
Is positive change easy? Hell, no. In fact, it’s
probably the toughest thing you’ll ever do. But
it’s also the most radical thing you’ll ever do, for
in rebelling against your mind’s long-held de-
structive habits, you’re practicing what former
addict and punk-rock nihilist-turned-Buddhist
Noah Levine calls “cognitive disobedience,”
which represents the highest and most noble
form of revolution - the inner revolution.
So if you really want positive change in your
life and in the world as a whole, then be a true
revolutionary and become the change. You can
do it!
Stop Whining and Vote
By Mark Zammit
Ok, I usually write and tear a strip out of
CSC but now I am here to lay into my fellow
cons. New and old school alike. Stop fucking
crying and whining, get off your asses and
vote when it’s time to vote.
In 21 years of federal time I have heard “My
vote won’t make a difference”, “I can’t save
the world”, or “What’s my vote gonna do?”
I’ll tell you, if 10-20 people from each joint in
Canada came up with such lame excuses as
that, that’ll be a number of now voters that
I’d rather not discuss. But I’ll tell you about
something, “that final number most definitely
would affect a vote, and most likely not in our
favour.”
In 2008, we lost our right to smoke, and we
took it dry. In 2016, the new dog-food-esque
National Menu came into play, once again,
we took it dry. 2017, the pathetic across the
board National Purchasing catalog, Guess
what? Dry! They took our incentive pay, our
drives, charge us rent and double on the
phone service… DRY, DRY, DRY. When does
it stop? What are we waiting for? When they
take that right form us as well. Let me just
voice this; “If you don’t vote, you don’t have
the right to bitch and complain.”
The Conservative government took a lot
from us as convicts and they also took a lot
from the poor, and I’m saying, is we’ve got to
stand together, stand strong and most of all
“VOTE”. We are only as strong as our weakest
link, and if our weakest link is a very large
group, then we will lose. The Liberal govern-
ment is far from perfect, but they are what as
convicts or ex-convicts we need to be treated
and live as humans.
With Harper in office for the 9 years that he
was running the show, all of us and our fam-
ilies suffered. From smoking to food drives,
right up to minimum/maximum sentencing
and the God awful Dangerous Offender Des-
ignation that is being handed out like bread
at a drop-in centre. As cons, ex-cons and low
income families we only have ourselves to
keep those ways out of the system, or should
keep from worsening what the PC party has
already done.
My partner is a victim of the dreaded D.O.
designation. With only 17 convictions, 15 of
them property crime and two a schedule one,
she should not be a D.O. but with the bullshit
that stands for justice these days she and sev-
eral others like her may never see the other
side of the wall. I for one cannot fathom that,
nor find it feasible.
I can ask, I can beg, I can bitch and I can
hope but I cannot force everyone to use their
God given right to vote, you guys gotta do
that yourselves. So if anyone reading this
knows someone or lives with someone that
doesn’t vote, step up, explain to them what’s
on the table to lose, teach them that not
everyone has a release date and we need to
be there for one another. Nothing changes if
nothing changes. RIGHT TO VOTE…
11 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Beginning of
the end: tattoo
pilot program
Continued from cover story on
tattooing inside
doing my tattoos because I seen my
body as a book that needed its pages
filled, read and understand.
As time progressed, I learned to
build a tattoo gun out of add parts,
sharpen needles from guitar strings,
and make ink by burning paper. As
time went on, I got a source for new
bottles of real ink regularly. The
rules of the institution did not permit
tattooing and I learned quickly that
if I did tattoos, I was going to be
centered out for doing them. I was
charged and fined many times, had
drawings confiscated, even lost
personal property from searches the
guards conducted of my cell. Now it
became even more important to me
to have my tattoos. I saw them as a
possession that NO ONE could take
away from me, unlike all my other
belongings.
With the prohibition on tattooing
in prison, I had to work in unsanitary
conditions. Hiding my equipment ev-
ery hour when the guards would do
their rounds, sometimes I would just
place my tattoo gun under my desk
or bed. This was/is not ideal for being
hygienic and in fact raised my risk
of getting infections. However, I was
determined to tattoo myself. At this
point I was not tattooing others so I
did not need to worry about diseases
as much, such as HepC or HIV. I nev-
er worked or shared my equipment
with others and I always cleaned my
workspace and equipment before I
tattooed myself. Prison is not a place
you wish to get sick, so I took every
precaution I could. My involvement
with tattooing would grow a few
years later once I was transferred
to Joyceville (the Ville). So would my
concerns and risks associated with
the activity.
As I started to tattoo other inmates
I noticed many people where
requesting tattoos as a form of re-
minder to a situation or event in their
lives as well. Which led my thoughts
to; tattoos are a form of personal
expression or therapy for others
as well. That is when it dawned on
me, I was not alone dealing with
haunting pasts and I started to see
people with compassion. In my case,
reports from psychology make note
to the importance of visual art and
tattooing in my life, as is noted by C.
Hynot, MSW, RSW. I quote; “Mr. Fel-
foldi suffers from a learning disability
which makes it very difficult for him
to read and write. He has always,
therefore tended to use visual art as
a means of thinking and expression.
Mr. Felfoldi has used his tattoos as
a way of carrying his history forward
and marking, literally, the important
and formative events in his life. His
tattoos are not simply decorative but
are highly symbolic and meaningful.
For years this was his only way of try-
ing to process the more difficult and
troubling aspects of his experience.”
To understand the importance for
harm reduction in regard to tattoo-
ing within prison, we must start at
the beginning. For anyone that is or
has been incarcerated they know
first-hand; prison is a suppressive
environment and is an incubator for
potential infections. To see health
care takes forever and most often
you are sent away with ibuprofen.
Fact is, prison is not a clean and
sterile environment and it seems hu-
manity takes a side step at the gates
of the prison.
A tactic used to control or dis-
courage inmates from exercising
their rights or accessing appropriate
measures is to withhold or censor
Cell Count Cover art after tattoo pilot program was ended by the federal government in 2006. Drawn by Tim Felfoldi
critical information. A saying I like is,
“Whoever controls the information,
controls the outcome of events.”
This could become a life and death
matter, keeping in mind, this is in
addition to, in the 1980s-90s very
little was known about HIV/AIDS
other than it was a death sentence
for people who contracted the virus.
This led many people to react to
those infected with the virus in a
fearful and inhumane manner. Many
times, people did not disclose their
illness out of fear of being treated
differently or even segregated. To
be segregated meant to be placed in
solitary confinement for an undeter-
mined amount of time.
The exchange of information to the
masses was never really a priority,
and to hold a large assembly ran the
risk of a charge of inciting and/or an
involuntary transfer. The transfers
were enacted for the good order
of the institution, under section 31
(3-a) of the Canadian Conditional
Release Act (CCRA) which states;
“For attempting to act or intends to
act in a manner that jeopardizes the
security of the penitentiary or the
safety of any person.” People did not
really band together unless it was
called upon for major changes or
events. Other than that, information
was mostly shared through word of
mouth between groups of friends.
In the 80’s, most federal institu-
tions in Ontario operated an internal
video platform run by inmates. The
purpose of this was to both entertain
and inform inmates of upcoming
events or past ones. The videos
would be played on the inmate
television station (channel 4) like
sporting events played between in­
house teams.
In the mid 90’s when I left the
Haven (J-unit) I went to the Ville. The
lifer’s group at the Ville ran and oper-
ated the video production platform
for the inmate population. These
members of the lifer’s group were my
friends as I stated earlier. While Lau-
rence was at the Ville, he co-founded
Big House Production and started
making documentaries on inmates
issues, such as the 15 year review
process for eligible lifers, the rise of
HepC in the prison setting as well as
the new scourge of HIV/AIDs.
By this time (in 1996), I had be-
come well known as a good tattoo
artist, among the 3 best within the
institution which housed just over
560 inmates (Willy was another one).
I was not just known for my art but
the fact I would explain to others the
importance of keeping their tattoo
clean as well as their equipment.
Willy and I produced an article called,
“Tattooing and you: The safeguards
within prison.” The article was done
to educate the inmate population on
harm reduction practices that could
reduce the spread of new infections.
This article was published by PASAN
for about 15 years in every edition
of Cell Count. People knew within
the institution I would not tattoo just
anyone, especially if they would not
take care of previous work done on
them. About this time, Laurence,
Kenny and Willy asked if I would
like to be interviewed for one of
their videos they were producing on
tattooing. This led to my involvement
in the educational videos on safer
tattooing within prison. The videos
were done with harm reduction at
the forefront.
At the same time, we started to pre-
pare to conduct the second HIV/AIDS
and Hepatitis C study of the inmate
population at Joyceville institution
with Dr. Peter Ford of Queens Uni-
versity. Once the studies were made
public, the studies showed alarming
rates of infections in both Hepatitis
C as well as HIV/AIDS within the
population (HIV & Hepatitis C studies
1993/1998). Sadly, a few friends of
ours committed suicide after learning
they had contracted HIV. CSC’s re-
sponse to all of this was to segregate
some of us and transferred Laurence
and Kenny back to the Haven. CSC
cited Section 31 (3-a) of the CCRA.
Unbeknownst at the time, two of
the videos we produced became
ground-breaking HIV prevention
videos made by and for prisoners.
“Tattoo: art beneath the skin,” and
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
“Hepatitis C: the virus in the steel.”
The videos were shown in many
Canadian prisons, at national and
international meetings, at several
U.S. prisons and were used by AIDS
organizations across Canada as edu-
cational tools.
In 2003 following Laurence’s
untimely death in the Haven (1998),
Laurence’s efforts along with ours
were recognized by Human Rights
Watch. Laurence’s family was pre-
sented an award for his action on
HIV/AIDS and Human Rights. Further
to this the videos where also shown
at the 2004 Toronto Prisoners Film
Festival. This led to more pressure on
CSC and the federal government to
address the harm reduction issues of
tattooing in prison. In Sept of 2004 I
was placed in segregation on allega-
tions I was in breach of a behavioural
contract with regards to tattooing, 2
months later (after further investiga-
tions from regional headquarters),
it was determined the allegations
to place me in the segregation were
unfounded. It took another month
to get out of segregation (in Decem-
ber). However, in January of 2005,
six pilot tattoo shops were approved
to be opened across Canada in the
following year. The very day this was
made public (on the 27th) I found
myself placed in segregation once
again. Commensurate about an hour
later a Toronto Sun newspaper article
was slid under my cell door by a staff
member. The headline read: ‘Cons
get cheap tattoos: pilot program will
cost Taxpayers $3.7 million’. Two
months later I was transferred out
of segregation to a higher security
setting under Section 31 (3-a) of the
CCRA. Noting, I was never charged
with an offence, but the claim once
again was tattoo-related behaviour.
Although the newly elected federal
Conservative government, led by
Stephen Harper, cancelled the pilot
program a year later (2006-07). I
would like to believe our efforts re-
duced the spread of new infections,
which in turn, lowered new cases
of HIV/AIDS and/or Hep C released
back into society. Laurence, Willy and
Dave, did not live to see our efforts
become reality.
As the tattoo campaign drew near
its ending, I went back to my roots
of drawing and painting. In 2005,
myself and another inmate had an
interview from a representative of
Ottawa art gallery. This interview was
for the possibility of displaying our
artwork. I do not present myself well
in interviews when under stress nor
did I take my best work with me. Fact
is I was not interested in showing my
work in a gallery at the time.
As time went on, other opportu-
nities arose for me to showcase my
work. My art was published over 65
times. The publications ranged from
covers of books, magazines and
greeting cards. My art was placed in
calendars and I was asked to create
posters for health-related issues. In
2011, I was approached by Kings-
ton museum to display some of my
art, this lead to other galleries and
museum showings across Ontario
branching out into other provinces.
I’ve even done work creating logos
for a concert promoter and other
groups. However, the work I most en-
joyed being involved with is the work
I did for the following issues to raise
funds or awareness for HIV/AIDS,
HepC, breast cancer, prostate cancer,
suicide and depression as well as the
treas4justice campaign for Missing
and Murdered Indigenous Women
and Children.
Please keep in mind, prison is not
set up for someone to succeed in
their goals. With the odds against all
inmates in this suppressive environ-
ment and where opportunities are
limited or non-existent, it is easy for
people to give up trying. If you need
a reminder of this, you need not look
any further than the actions of sui-
cides that take place within the walls,
or the tone of depression in the voice
calling you on the phone from pris-
on. For many in prison sometimes,
it is hard to find the strength to get
through a day, let alone helping
others out.
Art and tattooing not only kept
me grounded, but also gave me an
outlet to vent and work through
many of my problems. This led to me
becoming more sociable and tolerant
of others, even more compassion-
ate. It gave me opportunities to help
others in larger society. This is not to
reiterate the other blessings already
stated. However, more importantly
my art and tattooing led me to forge
friendships that led to me meeting
my wife.
So, to conclude the question:
“Whether or not it was worth it
considering all factors of events?”
The real questions should be: did our
campaign and efforts benefit you?
Did it save you or someone you know
doing time from getting an infection
of HIV/AIDS or HepC when the pilot
program was active? If so, it was
worth it then. Yet, if not, it shows the
importance of art and safer tattooing
within prison. If re­-implemented, the
program would save others’ lives too.
All I can tell you is my struggles
within life are shared by many. More-
over, we all have made mistakes in
our lives, it’s called being human. As
a human, we need to communicate
and express ourselves in order to
grow as a person. To imperil that
ability or experience, can be a form
of passing a death sentence onto
another human being.
EDITOR’S NOTE: Despite Mr. Felfoldi’s
dyslexia in excess of 35 hours were
required in preparing this document
with the assistance of a comput-
er-reading program called “Word Q”;
however, accommodations are still
problematic and inconsistent for Mr.
Felfoldi within CSC. This is another is-
sue he is currently engaged in trying
to address. No small task!
To put it into perspective a study
cites, “60% of American prison
inmates are illiterate and 85% of
all juvenile offenders have read-
ing problems,” U.S. department of
education. http://www.nemours. org/
service/preventive/brightstart/dyslex-
ia/statistic.htlm.
In Canada that would equate to
about 9 thousand (give or take 100)
inmates on any given day that are in
a need of accommodations.
12 // art
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
13 // art
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
14 // art
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018

Artists
Page 12 clockwise: Conan Park, Jonathan Jennings,
Steven W. Zehr
Page 13 top to bottom: Nolan Turcotte, Clayton
Anness
Page 14 clockwise: Gerard Saulnier, Alex Gaudreau,
J. Martineau
15 // health and harm reduction
Suicide, Drugs and Lack of Support on Release
By Phillipe Poisson
On October 6th, 2017, at 7am ex-
actly I attempted suicide. Again. Only
this time I was affected both physi-
cally and mentally in severe ways.
Now I am in constant pain all day
and all night. My every move is
plagued by crippling nerve pain. Plus,
my spine always rubs in extreme
pain and discomfort against the 12
stainless steel surgical rods implant-
ed into my spine to help me walk
and move my arms once more.
As for my brain, that didn’t fare any
better. My memory has been severe-
ly hampered and I suffer from head-
aches day in and day out – that is to
say, all the time! I have trouble re-
calling something without someone
else’s prompting and intervention. As
for my memories of childhood and
teenage years? Virtually non-existent.
Now as to what led me to the sui-
cide attempt: on October 5th, 2017
sometime late in the night, I was
with my dealer and we were snorting
lines of speed from a new batch. An
argument and fight ensued. After-
words, we both left on our bikes, me
following him back to his place, but
somewhere halfway to his place I
blacked out.
From here I had to put things to-
gether from people I talked to a few
weeks later. First off, I gave my bike
away. FREE! The guy I gave it to did
not touch it for three whole days un-
til he was sure I wasn’t returning for
it. So he sold it out of town. Secondly,
eye witnesses said at precisely 7am
on October 6th, 2017, I was seen
stepping onto the railing of MacKen-
zie King Bridge in Ottawa, and then
stepping off to the road bellow. I
missed the tailgate of a pickup truck
by roughly 6 inches. The height from
the railing was 15 meters (46-feet)! I
broke my T-12, L-1, and L-2 verte-
brae. I was a quadriplegic for 1 ½
days while waiting for surgery.
Fortunately for me, God wants me
here on Earth! Why? I don’t have the
slightest clue, but I am forever grate-
ful. Also, for some reason I don’t
have anymore suicidal thoughts,
whereas before I had suicidal
thoughts every single day!
For the many things I am grateful
to be living for, Cell Count is but one.
Cell Count plays a big part in my life.
I am honoured to be able to write
for them. Not only does it allow me
to talk about important issues, but
it also allows me to talk about the
things that are bothering me.
For this article, It’s about the very
important issue of Release. Those
that are released on Day Parole, Full
Parole, and their Statutory Release
Date, they still have the government
to support them through CSC. But
what about those people who are re-
leased on their Warrant Expiry Date?
I was released on my WED on Sep-
tember 7th, 2017. I had a probation
order but no one to check in with!
So what was the probation for? I got
drunk and the cops would get called
because I’m being a public nuisance.
What do the cops do? Do they breach
me? You would think so, but no! They
drive me to the Shepard’s of Good
Hope to sleep it off! I sober up, walk
out the door and the same thing hap-
pens the next night. And the next,
and the next.
The Government doesn’t want
to help us but sweep us under the
rug and ignore us until we go away!
Unfortunately, Portugal got it right by
decriminalizing all drugs and there-
fore stopping the “War on Drugs”!
Now, there are fewer crimes and
deaths due to drugs!
Doesn’t make sense does it? On the
contrary, it makes perfect sense!
Imagine if you will that your Brother,
Sister or Best-friend is a Heroine
addict. Would you rather that person
buy their dope from a “dealer” in a
crack house? Dope made with God
knows what and sold to anyone? Or,
would you rather it where a trained,
Professional Dealer is selling legiti-
mate dope made with safer ingredi-
ents? Dope sold only to those 19 and
older! NOT KIDS!!! If I had that choice
I would’ve chosen the latter option.
Thanks for listening to me about my
thoughts on these all very important
issues!
Drug dependency and getting meds in prison
By Jason Bevan
I’d really like to help our fellow
cons in every way that I can so I
hope whatever I tell you may help
some in the future. There have
been a great deal of changes to our
prison system and it’s all crap for us
as convicts. For us, crap runs down
hill and we’re at the bottom.
A lot of people think that once
in prison we’ll get beck on certain
type of meds and it’s not like that
anymore, and now other cons have
been caught being short. Some
people that come to jail think that
they should get every pill they are
on and in their home bucket or from
their street doctor. I’m sorry to have
to be the one to say this but unless
you’ve been taking your lyrica or
morphine for many years and your
doctor has the proof of the reasons
why you’re on those meds then you
are going to get back on them in due
time ‘cause even as I came in here
once again I was still weaned off and
then cut off until I seen the proper
doctors. Only then did I get back on
some of my meds so no matter what
state you’re in unless you had some
serious injury or you have good
documentation for your problems
then in time you could get back on
your pill. This is for those that are
doing time, or have been in CSC, and
dealing with aches or a great deal
of pain whether it’s physical or psy-
chological. There are so many doors
that could have come to the jail.
The better part of people that are
in the jail/prison system have been
going through so many different
problems that, at the best of times,
we either are too complicated,
or have too many disabilities and
there's not enough time to fix all of
our problems.
It’s so so sad to see us keep
coming in and out of these places.
This is a big reason why so many
people have misused drugs on the
street, so for us to even have a good
chance of staying away from dope
and keeping ourselves from going
back to jail we need something to
take the drug's place.
There is going to be a big gap left
open once some one leaves drugs
behind. We need to find things that
will make us happy, that makes us
want to get out of bed, when one
finds that hobby or trip they're
Self-care on the inside
Cell Count would like to thank the Syl-
via Rivera Project in New York for giving
us permission to re-print this excerpt
from their publication: 'Self-care on the
inside guide' written by Everett Redente
Grounding Techniques:
Grounding is an exercise that helps
keep you in the present moment
and in reality. It can be helpful in
managing overwhelming feelings,
intense anxiety, or nerves. It can also
help you regain control of your men-
tal focus from a place of intense or
high emotion. Grounding techniques
can also help bring you back to the
physical space where you are. When
memories of trauma make you feel
outside of your body, these activities
can bring you back. Here are some
grounding activities to try:
54321:
Name 5 things you can see in the
room with you, 4 things you can
physically feel against you, 3 things
you can hear right now, 2 things you
can smell right now, and 1 good thing
about yourself.
Questions:
Ask yourself questions to help bring
you into this moment. Where am
I? What day is it? What is the date?
What is the month? What is the year?
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
planning, these can be good rein-
forcements in one's life that will help
to stay off dope. Again, people need
joy in their lives, things that excite
them to replace old and bad habits.
I believe things like that could help
reform being behind bars. Having
these health fairs once a year or
even 2 times a year to every prison
is one of the best things the jail
system has done. When it comes to
the reduced rates of HepC and HIV
transmission, it’s getting better for
people living with these infections,
to the point where other people
are loosening up a bit more and
not being so uncomfortable around
others.
A lot of people in the world need
a really good reason to want to
change their lives, a reason to stop
the use of drugs, a reason not to
commit crimes, there’s got to be
some thing in place for a filler.
Otherwise people will fall back in
that vicious cycle that some are so
used to.
The big killer in prison and on the
streets is Fentanyl and how can
other people have a better chance
on living from a fentanyl overdose
in prison. I think if the COs were
trained how to use the naloxone
kits and if these kits were in reach
for the COs to grab and administer
it would mean saving lives. Now to
get CSC to have their officers trained
to use these life saving kits could do
a lot of good in the jail and prison
systems.
If you are a con who is trying to
get back on meds, or start back on
them, you’ll need to be on those
pills for a long time and have a good
Doctor that has done the proper
testing that allow you to be on those
meds. You need proper documenta-
tion to stay on anything like Lyrica,
gabapentin, morphine, T-3, T-2,
byfenten. So if there is anything in
your med file stating your thoughts
of saving/hoarding meds, then those
chances are next to nill. So don’t go
to the nurse short with your pills
when they ask you to bring them.
Don’t be punching your pills out
before you’re supposed to because
health care will randomly come ask
to see your meds. Don’t misuse your
meds and if you are on any type of
pills in the pam family or velum fam-
ily you will not get at all in Ontario
prisons.
How old am I? What season is it? It is
okay if you do not know the answers
to these questions. If these questions
are difficult, you may want to try
another activity listed in this guide.
Description Game:
Plant your feet firmly on the
ground. Physically hold an object
and try to describe each detail of it
out loud like you wanted someone
on the phone to be able to see it. Try
this with a comforting object like a
blanket or a favorite shirt. Now try it
with an object that is cold. Try it with
an object that is rough.
Get Creative:
Whether it’s writing, drawing, or
making music, expressing our story
or experiences can be an important
tool to help us let go of emotion,
pain, and/or trauma. Creative ex-
pression can use our whole body and
brain and this helps us to remove
trauma from where it may be stuck
inside of us. When we create some-
thing, we have the option of sharing
our art with our community. Whether
it’s a beautiful drawing or a letter,
turning our pain into creativity can be
a powerful experience – both for us
and for others.
Should Canada decrimi-
nalize all drugs? 'Portugal
model' gaining traction
CTVNews.ca Staff
When Portugal decriminalized
possession and consumption of all
drugs in 2001, some feared that the
radical change would transform the
European nation into a paradise for
drug users.
That never happened. Instead,
Portugal has seen major drops in
drug-related overdoses, HIV infec-
tions and hepatitis infections. From
2000 to 2008, drug-related court
cases dropped 66 per cent.
With legal recreational cannabis
sales in Canada beginning next
Wednesday (editors note: they've
already begun), some health officials
and politicians have urged the fed-
eral government to go further and
decriminalize possession of all drugs,
pointing to Portugal as a success
story.
Among those supporters are public
health organizations in Toronto,
Montreal and Vancouver. They say
the best way to fight the ongoing opi-
oid crisis, which killed nearly 4,000
Canadians last year, is to treat drugs
as a health issue, not a crime.
Federal NDP Leader Jagmeet Singh
has vowed to decriminalize all drugs,
and he’s called on Prime Minister
Justin Trudeau to do the same.
The federal government has said it
is not interested in decriminalizing all
drugs. Trudeau has said widespread
decriminalization is not the way to
deal with the opioid crisis.
But, in some Liberal circles, the
Portugal model already has traction.
Liberal supporters at the party’s
April convention pushed the party
to adopt a resolution calling for the
government to adopt the approach.
The resolution failed, with Health
Minister Ginette Petitpas Taylor say-
ing that the model may not work for
a country of Canada’s size, where 10
provinces oversee the delivery health
services.
It’s also worth noting the scale of
Portugal’s drug crisis. Before the pol-
icy was implemented, an estimated
100,000 people in Portugal were ad-
dicted to illicit drugs. That’s a whop-
ping 1 per cent of the population.
Penalties for dealers, counselling
for users
Today, drugs are still illegal in
Portugal, and criminal penalties for
drug dealers and traffickers are still
in place.
But Portugal changed the law for
drug users so that, instead of jail
time, they are automatically sent
to counselling and offered access
to treatment. A special “dissuasion
commission” – a drug court, of sorts
– was established with psycholo-
gists and social workers to hand out
treatment or administrative fines
to anyone caught with even small
amount of drugs.
Portugal’s model also includes
prevention. In Lisbon, a white van
drives around every day delivering
methadone to about 1,200 people.
Many of those people are former
addicts who describe the deliveries
as life-saving.
“There’s no craving anymore. No
feeling that I need heroin again,” one
man told CTV’s Paul Workman.
Joao Goulao, a drug policy director
in Portugal, said the country was
united in approaching drug users
with compassion.
“My son is not a criminal. My son is
someone in need of help. And this
was the mindset of the common
citizen,” he said.
In 2017, the Liberal government
sent two of its top ministers – former
health minister Jane Philpott and Jus-
tice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould
– to Portugal to learn more about the
approach.
In a statement following the trip,
Wilson-Raybould said Portugal could
teach Canada a “great deal” about
viewing drug use through the lens of
public health.
With files from CTV’s London Bureau Chief Paul
Workman, The Canadian Press and The Associated
Press
16 // resources & about pasan
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 86//FALL 2018
EAST COAST 1 est, rue Sherbrooke, Montréal, H2X 107-33 Isabella St, Toronto, M4Y 955 Queen Street East, Toronto, M4M FED - 1-877-900-2437 (#’s approved
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1G51-800-561-4009, 506-459-7518 526 Richmond St E, Toronto, M5A HIV & AIDS LEGAL CLINIC OF ON. 4611 50th Ave, Red Deer, AB, T4N 3Z9 Ottawa, ON
AIDS PEI 1R3 416-924-5256 (HALCO) 403-346-8858 K1P 5H3
Take collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE of CAMBRIDGE, Accept collect calls HIV EDMONTON (613) 238-2422
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AIDS SAINT JOHN Have a toll-free number HIV/AIDS REGIONAL SERVICES (HARS) KIMAMOW ATOSKANOW FOUNDA- Ottawa, ON K1R 7X6 Toll-free: 1-866-
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2437 3687 1G5 613-545-3698 (Collect) RR 1, Site 1, Box 133, Onoway, AB, T0E 1-800-263-1638
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1-800 565 4255 Accept collect calls, prefer that people STRATEGY NINE CIRCLES COMMUNITY HEALTH M5V 3B1
3-15 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y use their Accept collect calls CENTRE
2N21-800-565-4255, 902-492-4255 89 Dawson Rd, Unit 113, Guelph, N1H 844-A Princess St, Kingston, K7L 705 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB, R3G 0X2 Prisoner-Specific
MAINLINE NEEDLE EXCHANGE 3X2 1-800-282-4505; 519-763-2255 1G5 613-549-7540 (Collect) 1-888-305-8647
Calls from within Nova Scotia are free PEEL HIV/AIDS NETWORK PRISONERS UNITED ORGANIZATION
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Don’t accept collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE of NORTH BAY Accept collect calls No collect calls
5511 Cornwallis St, Halifax, NS, B3K 160 Traders Blvd, Unit 1, Mississauga, Canadian federal correctional system.
and AREA Box 7123, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 4I1 306- Our purpose is to explore the ways
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SHARP ADVICE NEEDLE EXCHANGE 1-866-896-8700, 905-361-0523 (Collect) in which both the experience and
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Accept collect calls 2T8 705-497-3560 (Collect) PETERBOROUGH AIDS RESOURCE 320 21 St W, Saskatoon, SK S7M 4E6
150 Bentnick St, Sydney, NS, B1P NETWORK (PARN) enhanced. We welcome everyone to
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Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2 Accept collect calls from registered 549-1440 (Collect) 0L2 1-877-210-7622
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COALITION des ORGANISMESCOM- ASIAN COMMUNITY AIDS SERVICE 200 Gerrard St E, 2nd Flr, Toronto, M5A
2E6 416-506-1400 2366 or 1-800-665-2437 K1N 6N5
MUNAUTAIRES QUEBECOIS de LUTTE- When prisoners call, they offer them PLBC - PRISON OUTREACH PROJECT PRISON FREE PRESS
CONTRE le SIDA (COCQSIDA) small bursaries to cover their calling Toronto Community Hep C Program
Accept collect calls 1107 Seymour St, Vancouver, V6B PO Box 39, Stn P
Accept collect calls fees 5S8 Toll Free: PROV - 604-525-8646 Toronto, ON, M5S 2S6

ABOUT PASAN STAFF CELL COUNT TEAM

PASAN is a community-based HIV Service organization Outreach & Education Chaman R Vashishtha Sena Hussain
that strives to provide community development, educa-
tion and support to prisoners and ex-prisoners in Ontario Prison Education Programs:  Office Coordinator Lead Editor
Janet Rowe
ON HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV) and other harm reduction PASAN conducts HIV prevention education programs in Eveline Allen Cell Count Supervisor
many adult and youth institutions in the southern Ontario
issues. PASAN formed in 1991 as a grassroots response Regional Prison In-Reach Coordinator Fiona Bennell
region.  This program includes a Peer Educators Group, PASAN Placement Student
to HIV in the Canadian prison system. Today, PASAN
whereby ex-prisoners living with HIV are educators for Aaron Bowerman Brendan Arnott
is the only community-based organization in Canada
current prisoners.   Peer Health Navigator Coordinator Cell Count Volunteer
exclusively providing HIV and HCV prevention, education Raine Liana
PASAN conducts free training for those working with
and support services to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their
prison-affected and drug using populations.  Training
Zachary Grant Cell Count Volunteer
families.
topics include:
Federal Community Development Coordinator Tim Felfoldi
Writer and Artist
Support Services ▪ HIV & Prison Trevor Gray Emily O'Brien
▪ Harm Reduction Community Programs Coordinator Writer
Individual Support Services: ▪ The Impact of Segregation Nick Paccione
▪ Individual support & counselling ▪ Stigma & Discrimination Sena Hussain Writer
▪ case management Communications & Resource Dev Coordinator Philipe Poisson
▪ pre-release and post-release planning
Systemic Advocacy Writer
Lindsay Jennings Nolan R. Turcotte
▪ referrals  Since our beginnings in 1991, PASAN has always Writer
Provincial HepC Program Coordinator
▪ advocacy for medical services  maintained a focus on systemic issues of HIV/AIDS and Mark Zammit
▪ housing supports prisons.   Some has been involved in many systemic Claudia Medina Writer
▪ phone support through collect calling  advocacy efforts including: Program Manager Jason Bevan
▪ emergency financial assistance (limited budget for fees ▪ Prison Needle Syringe Project (2014/15) Writer
▪ Advocacy against the use of segregation Stephanie Moulton Nolan R. Turcotte
related to identification and prison release.  Application
▪ Presentation to the Canadian Human Rights Commis- Harm Reduction Outreach Coordinator Writer amd Artist
requirements exist)
sion (2001) Janet Rowe Poetry: Bless, Brian G. Kerr, Dakota Rain Man-
▪ Advocacy for male-to-female transsexual/transgendered
Community Support Services: Executive Director itowabi, Zakaria Amara, Nolan R. Turcotte,
prisoners and HIV (1999)
PASAN also provides support AIDS Service Organizations Tylor Beggs, Billy D, Madelein Prinsloo, Mr.
▪ Presentation to the Presidential Advisory Council on Cherisa Shivcharran Valley, El Presidenteeh, Trap Boy Sunny, S.
and community groups across Ontario.  This includes: 
HIV/AIDS in Washington DC (1998) Provincial Community Development Coordinator Halliday AKA G, Dwight (KC) Luke Nicholson,
▪ resources & educational materials
▪ Presentation to the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Alex Gaudreau, and Forgotten Warrior
▪ training
AIDS (1996)
Aanya Wood Art: Jeremy Hall, Tim Felfoldi, Gerard Saulnier,
▪ assistance to set up prison outreach and support ▪ HIV/AIDS in Youth Custody Settings: A Comprehensive Federal Community Development Coordinator Conan Park, Jonathan Jennings, Steven W.
projects Strategy (1996) We are located at: Zehr, Nolan R. Turcotte, Clayton Anness,Alex
Gaudreau, and J. Martineau
▪ strategies to develop referral “hubs” for HIV positive ▪ Organization of the first National Workshop on HIV/ 526 Richmond St E
prisoners AIDS in Prison (1995).  Toronto, ON M5A 1R3 Let us know if we mistakenly forgot
▪ networking for the development of a continuum of care ▪ HIV/AIDS in Prison Systems: A Comprehensive Strate- Call us toll free at: someone!
for prisoners transferred between regions  gy (1992) 1-866-224-9978