CELL COUNT
pasan.org
Mosaic project takes over PASAN
By Shelby Kennedy
It’s been an exci ng few months
at PASAN! A er 25 years of history as
the only community-based organiza-
on in Canada exclusively providing
HIV and HCV preven on, educa on
and support services to prisoners,
ex-prisoners and their families, PASAN
wished to commemorate those
experiences through a collabora ve
art project. PASAN believes you, as
prisoners, deserve to be recognized,
supported, upli ed and wri en into
history where you’ve been, and con-
nue to be, erased, and so was born
the mosaic project. Mosaic is a form
of art that uses many small pieces of
Folks gathered for the big reveal of the design. January 25th, PASAN, Toronto
2 3 4-5
Bulletin
Board
FREE - FOR PRISONERS, EX-PRISONERS & THEIR FAMILIES
material (usually stone, tile and glass) to
form one complete image/pattern.
Towards the end of 2016, clients &
staff of PASAN, along with a team of
extremely talented community artists,
began working on the project. Being
such an elaborate and large piece of
art, a lot of time and work went into
the design and construction of it. For
the project to be successful, it was
important that the artwork behind the
piece is meaningful to, and useful for,
folks within the community. To do this,
PASAN invited community members
to participate in workshops where folks
had the opportunity to draw and dis-
cuss their thoughts/feelings on PASAN,
INSIDE THE SPRING ISSUE
From
Inside
SPRING 2017 - ISSUE #80
forces came up a lot as well. The
prisoner justice, HIV programming, Aside from the imagery, other con-
Crows, to some, represent honoured
and community engagement. siderations were taken while designing
ancestors – prisoners, and ex-prisoners
Following these sessions, Anna the piece. Accessibility was frequently
who have passed. The Phoenix – not
Camilleri, the lead artist and designer discussed. Could folks easily see the
only represents the element of fire, but
for the project, compiled the different piece? Was there texture? How does it
also the themes of beginning again and
ideas, feelings and thoughts of folks feel? The mosaic is intended to bring
metamorphosis. The quotes “No one
into one cohesive design. Each drawing life into the space, for example by gen-
is left behind” and “Nobody fails here”
was different in its own way, but there erating conversation, evoking emotion,
are direct quotes taken from client’s
were many similarities among them. or even simply through observation.
drawings, discussing PASAN’s position
The number 4, for example, was a hot Physically, the mosaic had to have
on never turning somebody away. And
topic. The four elements (earth, fire, certain qualities too. Portability was
lastly, the Deer can represent a few
water, air), the four directions and the considered, in case PASAN ever has to
things such as renewal (shedding of
medicine wheel were found in many of move, the piece can come with us. Just
antlers), balance & centering (position
the drawings. Frustrations over fighting as the artwork says – “No one is left
of antlers in the piece) and the antlers
for resources, survival, freedom, and behind.” Mosaics tend to be very heavy
shredding the fence could represent
trust, along with resistance to these since they are mostly made of wood,
breaking down barriers to some.
glass, and stone.
So, if a mosaic
is installed
somewhere to
stay forever,
it is built in
sections to
make it easier
to manage. In
this case, to be
portable, the
mosaic had to
be one solid
piece. Lots of
measuring went
into making
sure the piece
could find a
way out of the
building if nec-
essary. Thanks
to all this work,
PASAN will be
able to take the
Working Hands. February 9th, 2017, PASAN, Toronto: we took a look at the piece that Anna designed. piece anywhere,
cont'd on page 6
6 7 8
Health &
News on Resources &
Art Harm
the Block About PASAN
Reduction
2 // bulletin board
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
increase in workload, clients may not • Communication with community! Institu-
be able to spend as much time on the tional health care providers for access
telephone with staff as we would like. • To clarify or communicate health infor-
The staff and volunteers are dedicat- mation and to advocate for health service
If you want to see a worker or attend a program put in a request to the Volunteer Coordinator or the Social ed and committed and will continue provisions
Work Dept, or call us toll free at 1-866-224-9978 to provide the best care possible. • Communicating findings and follow up plans
Thanks for your patience and under- and accountabilities with PHAs and PASAN
standing! primary workers (or delegates)
Provincial (ON) Men - CECC Groups/1on1: Sign up sheet; Request to Volunteer Coordinator; Call Please sign up at front desk
C ,
PASAN ( , - , ID C
CNCC Groups/1on1: Sign up sheet; Request to Volunteer Coordinator; Call , ), ,
PASAN , , - The Partners for Access and Identification
( ), (PAID) project opens doors and breaks down
HWDC Groups/1on1: monthly; Call PASAN barriers for individuals who do not have a fixed
:
MAPLEHURST Groups/1on1: Run twice a month; Call PASAN or permanent address.
TEDC Groups/1on1: Run twice a month; Call for a program on your unit We want your submissions! We get The ID Clinics are held at PASAN on the 1st &
lots of letters from our readers telling 3rd Thursday of each month, 1:00-2:00pm
or a 1on1 educational us how much they love seeing all your The project operates at various sites across the
TSDC Put a request in with the Volunteer Coordinator or call for a work and they’re hungry for more. city of Toronto. The PAID project also con-
program on your unit or a 1on1 educational Send us your stuff and get published nects individuals and families to other services,
Provincial (ON) Women - CECC Call PASAN (no regular programming) in Cell Count. When you send stuff such as:
in, please make sure you write a line - Primary health care facilities
CNCC Call PASAN (no regular programming) in that gives us permission to publish - Sources for housing
VCW 1st and 3rd Wed – 1on1 Request to Social Work or Healthcare and your work. Also, let us know if you - Sources for food
call PASAN would like your work returned to you - Legal Aid
Federal (ON) Men - We try to visit each prison at least 3 times a year. We visit: Bath, Beavercreek or sent on to someone else! We also provide guidance and awareness regard-
Writers: We get a lot of great work ing other programs that are available, including
Min/Med, Collins Bay, Joyceville Min/Med, Millhaven, Pittsburgh and Warkworth. sent in that we are unable to use
We see people individually or in group settings and talk about HIV/AIDS, Hep C, community-based support services.
because of very limited space. Apol- For more information, please call: Neighbour-
Harm Reduction and Health Promotion. If you wish to know more or have HIV ogies. Please consider the column hood Link Support Services at 416-691-7407.
please contact us to find out when we will be at your institution. width & keep articles/poems tight & Also at the Toronto South D.C. Put in a request
Federal (ON) Women - GVI once a month; request to health care and call PASAN to the point. Honestly, the first items to see them.
to go in are the ones that fit nicely
and leave space for others – quality P R
FOR MORE INFORMATION ON ANY OF THESE PROGRAMS CALL PASAN TOLL FREE AT: 1-866-224-9978 and quantity! Also, let us know in
writing if it’s ok to edit your work for KINGSTON AREA - CFRC Prison Radio airs
every Wednesday evening from 7-8pm on 101.9
HIV+ C S come with a cost. We cannot personally vouch grammar, spelling and so we can fit it in.
FM. CFRC is the Queen's University commu-
for these options, so please use at your own We're especially looking for submissions
In order to be a client & access these services discretion: from women-identified folks! Women are the nity radio station and every last Wednesday of
you need to have confirmed HIV+ status and Canadian Inmates Connect: Currently, there fastest-growing prisoner population in Canada, the month, they read messages and do song
be a prisoner or ex-prisoner (all times Eastern is a $35/year subscription. Your ad will be but often their experiences are marginalized in requests from or to prisoners and their friends
Standard time) placed on a website, and people with inter- conversations about the prison system. We want and family. CFRC can be heard from Millhaven
 Phone Hours: Mon – Fri from 9-5, except net access browse through to decide who to to hear your take on prison, life, family, or any- Institution, Collins Bay Institution, Joycev-
Tuesday mornings and lunch from 12pm- connect with. A point of caution: you are asked thing else you're interested in writing about. We ille Institution, Bath Institution, Frontenac
1pm to say what you have been convicted for, and can guarantee confidentiality, and can publish Institution, Pittsburgh Institution, and Quinte
 Drop-in – Mondays 1:30-3:30 (except your full name will be published online. Melissa your pieces under a pseudonym if you want! Detention Centre.
holidays) Good food & 2 TTC tokens (for is the person to contact for more information. Please submit your articles, poetry, art, or letters MONTREAL AREA – CKUT Prison Radio
PASAN members only) Write or call her at: Canadian Inmates Connect to the editor to PASAN at 526 Richmond St airs on 90.3 FM on the second Thursday of
every month between 5-6 pm as part of the
 Nurse – 1st & last Monday 1:30-3:30 every Inc. 3007 Kingston Rd, Suite 267, Toronto, E, Toronto, ON M5A 1R3 - in the meantime,
Off the Hour show and on the fourth Friday of
month Ontario, M1M 1P1 - (647) 344-3404 check out Concrete Blossoms on pages 3 and 5.
every month between 11am and 12pm. It can
 ID Clinic – 1st & 3rd Thursday 1:00-2:00 every Black and Pink: Specifically for queer and D - be heard from Bordeaux, Rivière-des-Prairies,
month - for everyone. trans prisoners. They are based in the United
States, and it does not cost anything to be part Centre de formation fédéral, Leclerc, Montée
 Release Funds - $50 (twice a year max) PASAN Clients St-Francois, Centre de détention pour les immi-
of the list, and you don't have to tell them your Mondays 1:30-3:30pm
 TTC Tokens – 2 per week Mon during drop- conviction. Here is out to reach them: Black grants, Archambault, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines,
See you then! and Cowansville institutions.
in 1:30-3:30pm. and Pink National Office, 614 Columbia Rd,
 Harm Reduction Materials – Mon – Fri from Dorchester, MA 02125 F V VANCOUVER AREA – Stark Raven Col-
9-5 (12-1pm we are closed), except Tuesday 617.519.4387 lective runs the CFRO Prison Radio show on
F.E.A.T. for Children of Incarcerated Parents 100.5 FM as part of Vancouver Co-operative
AM (Safer-Crack-Use-Kits, Safer-Needle- Prison Fellowship Canada: This is a faith- was founded in 2011 to support the needs of
Use-Kits, Piercing Needles, Condoms, etc.) based, Christian organization that connects Radio. It broadcasts on the first Monday of
the over 15,000 children in the Greater Toronto each month from 7-8 pm Pacific Time
- for everyone. prisoners with volunteers of either the same Area that have a parent in the criminal justice
gender, or where there is a 15-20 year age dif- HALIFAX AREA - Dalhousie University's
Sometimes we and the phones are very busy so system. CKDU at 88.1 FM. Listen or call in for poetry
please keep trying! ference. The point is for you to have an outlet The Family Visitation Program
to express yourself to someone who will listen. and rap on the Black Power Hour, which airs
Would you like to visit a family member in
A C C If you are of the Christian faith, this may be prison? F.E.A.T.’s Family Visitation Program
Wednesdays from 1:30-2:30pm , and is co-host-
a great option for you. You can reach them ed by former Halifax poet laureate El Jones.
PASAN publishes ‘Cell Count’, a minimum of provides transportation on weekends for you The show focuses on social and cultural issues
4 issues per year. It is sent out for FREE to for more info at: Prison Fellowship Canada - and an adult to correctional facilities in South-
National Office, 5945 Airport Road, Suite 144, relevant to Black communities, but is open all
Clients & Prisoners in Canada. If you are on ern Ontario. During the trip, you will be able listeners.
the outside or part of an organization, please Mississauga, ON L4V 1R9 to talk to friends and mentors, play games and
consider a donation @ $20 per year. Issue #79 905.673.5867 watch movies. Youth under 18 can visit their S G
is our first issue after a year because we didn’t Prisoner Correspondence Project: "..a family member for free! If you are interested
solidarity project for gay, lesbian, transsexual, By Mooky
have the funds to run it until now. But we’re in participating in the program, please call or Cherian
back with a whole new look and editor! See transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex, email F.E.A.T. to register today! I’ve had
the PASAN page about who contributed to this bisexual and queer prisoners in Canada and the For more information or registration please con- the privilege
issue. United States, linking them with people who are tact Jessica or Derrick Reid at: info@featforchil- of working for
Publisher: PASAN part of these same communities outside of pris- dren.org or 416-505-5333 PASAN since
526 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1R3 on." - From their website. Write to them here: 2002, first as
QPIRG Concordia c/o Concordia University C N a frontline
Circulation: 1700+ - Recirculation: ??? worker in the
1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, QC If you are in any Federal/Provincial Inst or
All original artwork, poems and writings are the H3G 1M8 provincial
sole/soul property of the artist and author. Detention call us only with this #: Toll-free system and
If you have had success using a pen pal service (other 1-866-224-9978 then, over the
Fair Dealing in the Canadian Copyright Act: than ours) and would like to share it with other Cell last 5+ years, as
Sections 29, 29.1, 29.2: “Fair dealing for the Count subscribers, please write to us or call. We can N the Program Manager. My time has come to move
purpose of research, private study, education, list it in a future issue. A Nurse for PASAN members! on to the next part of my life journey so I wanted
parody, satire, criticism, review, and news re- to take a moment to say good-bye to those of you
M ? On the 1st & last Monday of every month, 1:30 who I have connected with over the years. Some
porting does not infringe copyright.” – 3:30 of my best memories from the last 15 years have
We were getting about 75 Cell Counts sent back • Information and schedules regarding: been the connections that I’ve made with people
AN P P : to us each mail-out labelled, ‘Not Here’. Please
o Medications inside. I’ve always said that prisoners have been my
help us reduce our mailing expenses by letting greatest teachers in this work. Some of you have
I know we promised to bring Pen Pal's back us know of any address change, ASAP! Thank o Nutrition
touched me in ways that you will never fully know.
for this issue, but, due to a lack of time and you for the consideration. o Community Health Resources Moving forward, I will remain committed to pris-
funding, we are sad to say, that we are putting o HIV understanding oners’ justice, upholding the rights of people who
it on hold indefinitely. We are still brainstorm- W o Complications to HIV (eg Opportunistic use drugs and access to appropriate healthcare to
ing ways that we can possibly start it back up PASAN has been around for 25 years now Infections) all people who experience barriers when trying to
again, and we will keep you posted if anything • Assessments of emerging health issues maintain their health, especially prisoners. My last
and over the years our client population has day here is May 31st, feel free to write or call me if
changes. Here is a list of alternative places you increased dramatically. As a result of this • Management of existing medical conditions
can send your ads and photos, although some you’d like.
or follow up(s)
3 // from inside
T S
3 am. My love and I
in our flannel pj' s on a blanket
of silver-lined silk.
Beneath us cool desert sand.
Above us a blue moon
in a blue-black sky glittered
with blue-white stars twinkling
like her blue-green eyes.
A silver penny floats in
on a cool breeze and lands
in the warm palm
of her open hand.
It dissolves
into glitter and drifts
into eternity.
What did you wish for? I ask.
A world without nouns, she says,
without war and suffering,
without prison.
But what about peace? I ask.
What about love and community?
Relations and connections, she says
hence prepositions
in my world -
and conjunctions too, she adds,
unless they subordinate.
A bronze turtle tiptoes over
and offers my love and me
each a cup of silvery tea.
We drink... dissolve... drift...
My love and I. 3 am.
Nick Paccione
C ' R
2 days just a byway,
2 morrows and endless highway
Tho the sun may shine or rain & snow,
For all I’ve had I have nothing left 2
show.
Thought my heart is cold n frosted,
And the whole night through I’ve wasted.
Don’t you kno that I’ll be leaving,
Because I have nothing left 2 believe in
Yes! I’ve felt the pain -n- sorrow,
Like the lonesome English sparrow.
I’ve felt the fire, like the rainbow,
And the embers as they glow.
But if just one time, you had seen me,
Cry out into the deep dark night
I guess people will only see
What they’ll wanna see, but for a man,
“Crying just ain’t right!”
Eric Charlie aka Lonewolf
F C N B
M I've been imprisoned by the enemy
A woman tattoos Malik's name above
her breast & talks about the conspiracy
to destroy blacks. This is all a fancy way
to say that someone kirked out, emptied
five or six or seven shots into a warm
body.
No indictment follows Malik's death,
follows smoke running from a fired
pistol.
An old quarrel: crimson against concrete
& the officer's gun still smoking.
Someone says the people need to stand
up, that the system's a glass house falling
on only
a few heads. This & the stop snitching
ads
are the conundrum and damn all that
blood.
All those closed eyes imagining Malik's
killer forever coffled to a series of cells,
& you almost believe them, you do,
except
the cognac in your hand is an old habit,
a toast to friends buried before the
daybreak
of their old age. You know the truth
of the talking, of the quarrels & how
history lets the blamed go blameless for
the blood that flows black in the street;
you imagine there is a riot going on,
& someone is tossing a trash can through
Sal's window calling that revolution,
while behind us cell doors keep clanking
closed,
& Malik's casket door clanks closed,
& the bodies that roll off the block
& into the prisons and into the ground,
keep rolling, & no one will admit
that this is the way America strangles
itself.
From Bastards of the Reagan Era (c)
2015 by Reginald Dwayne Betts
I ME
I wish I was there, together with you.
I wish I could laugh & smile with you
too.
I may be imperfect, but I see perfectly.
I may be trapped, but in my mind I’m
still Free.
I have done wrong, and that’s easy to see.
I have done right, my initials are ME
Moustafa El Kaaki
C H
Couldn't get bail oh well
It's back to the crowbar hotel
Where everybody knows but we don't tell
Cause the g-code says don't tell
The minds become accustomed to the
local
And home has become a cold cell
Day after day in the same old hell
They say it's the system that we owe now
It's the price that we pay when we go
down
A cell block has become out home town
P.K.'s are the currency that goes around
Chine white, or the gold brown
On the streets we've sold down
Toe to toe we'll thrown down
Knuckle up and go rounds
Never seen a thing, or heard no sounds
So it's carbon fiber for you slow clowns
We're riding for our home town
This brotherhood is home now
The cell block is our home ground
They say that we're hell bound
But you know we can't be held down
We may be living in a cell now
Writing gangster poems for cell count
Our spirits can't be held down
Can you hear that sound?
That's time ticking down
The clock is ticking now
So when freedom come around
We'll shout it loud
With our head held proud
Knowing from birth until now
From now, until we're in the ground
All our lives we've held it down
Anthony George
W F
Freedom has become just a memory
Waiting for them to turn the key
Slowly waiting for eternity
In my mind it never occured to me
That I'd be labeled maximum security
Facing life inside the penitentiary
For fist fights and felonies
Someone tell me please
Tell me when did hell freeze
What happened to reality
When did freedom become a fatality
When did we lose our commonality
Getting caught up in the animosity
I never thought what the cost would be
But now freedom's what it's costed me
I'm creating harmonies and melodies
Our of memories of felonies
Of chopping O.Z.'s and selling g's
Now the laws telling me
A life sentence is the fee
For what they're selling me
But I'm not buying what they're telling
me
I'm like we'll see
What it will be
I'm true to the game even if it kills me
This is for my real g's
Hollar not guilty
Cause what it is, is what it will be
Anthony George
P N
Close your eyes
Hear that sound?
Stillness of silence,
The presence of Now.
In this moment I find peace,
I do my time with such ease.
Some are broken by the monotony
I close my eyes, I just be.
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
My breath, my heartbeat, my memory Is just wait for the night.
Locked in this cell, I could look you in the face
But I AM FREE Such a beautiful sight.
Justin Daniels Just not knowing what the lord has in
store,
T S Makes me so excited and makes me want
Born wet, round, and smooth, by a gla- you more.
ciers slow move. What if it all goes wrong,
Then tubles along to an icy rivers song. Or maybe even right?
Patient yet with purpose it makes its Will we fall in love,
weary way. Or always want to fight?
Like the heat from the east at suns first But one thing is for sure,
Rays. I will love you everyday.
It gets where its going, in its own time. Till death do us part,
How it does this, is how it'll be defined. Is something I want to say.
Sean Paul Johnston A column for self-identified women, gender-
Whether smooth or sharp at Journeys
end, queer and non-binary folks.
B
I'm sure its Will, So never bend! C
Justin Daniels Up in this cell, the Bucket from hell
C ’ -
I'll finish my time, and I'll be just fine ,
S Fuck the phone call, don't need fuck all
I dreamt a dream Fuck the letter, I'll make myself better
So intoxicatingly Real In my cell alone, every day just one The past few years have been
Vibrant as Fallingstars Me, myself, and I, is all I need to get by eventful for policy-making for trans-
Serene like Waterfalls Man-up, buck-up, solid and straight up gender prisoners in Canada. In 2015,
A rose's scent erupted I'll do my own shit, and finish this bit. Ontario became the first province
As doves cooed above Then when I walk, people gonna talk
to allow inmates to serve sentences
The clock strikes Midnight But I got my bros and everyone knows in institutions based on their gender
With visions of love Its all good, just as it should
Life goes on, the same old song. identity, rather than the sex assigned
Soft as pillow tops
Sean Paul Johnston to them at birth. The change came
Pure with Heaven bliss about after the province faced two
Suddenly she appeared
M C ... R !! lawsuits from transgender prisoners,
Posed the supermodel
Puckering for another kiss Cold, lonely, heartache, slow, monot- one involving a trans man who was
To linger in seducement onous, trapped, lost, forgotton, sad, placed in a women’s prison against
Laying through the Night hurt, sorrow, beaten, Failure. Scents of his will, forcefully stripped, and put
Senses pricked enhacement bleach, "softy", institutional laundry, and in women’s clothing. The Ontario
Warming to the Fire "Odour Be Gone". Bunked beds, small government found themselves left
Deep inside a Fantasy TVs, little 2x3 windows to tease us with with two options, change their policy,
An intricate desire freedom, concrete walls painted a yellow or wait for the Ontario Human Rights
Birds sang from trees to eggshell white. Speckle stone flooring, Tribunal to force them to. The new
Claiming to know how plastic laminate covered shelving and a
policy also involves requiring prison
Swam with tipsy dolphins desk. Aluminum latrine and sink basin, staff to undergo sensitivity training.
Soaking rays on the beach steel door with small glass viewer built
inside. Hope to leave here sooner than Previously, the Ontario government
Stars glow upon darkness
Knowing dreams in reach later. Hope for optimistic news from my dealt with the assignment of trans-
Morning arrives too quickly lawyer. All the while trying hard to keep gender prisoners on a case-by-case
Alas the days reveal busy so the day goes by faster. Bedtime basis, following the lead of Correc-
Life is truly splendid soon, medtime soon, one more day gone. tional Service Canada (CSC). Shortly
Reminding Us to Feel. One more day closer to freedom. Sunny after Ontario made the transition,
L. Cardinal days are very hard and difficult to accept British Columbia followed suite,
where I am. I miss my life, my family, employing similar policy changes. On
M L S my friends. Rainy days, cloudy days, top of placing prisoners in institu-
All the days living in my lonely silence bring contentment and ease of anxiety. tions that correspond to their gender
Bad weather helps with understanding
Brought up with anger, hatred and rather than what’s written on their
violence the process. Help me get over the wait, birth certificates, BC prisons must
Dealt with my pain, hurt and fear, with a I must endure the time. The time until also integrate transgender prisoners
bottle of booze I can live once again, out the window.
I'm only allowed the tops of tall trees in into the general prison population,
Lost everything, what more do I have to
the far distance. No grass, no shrubs, no unless there are “overriding health
lose?
In my life I've been beaten and sexually greenery, only concrete. Steel and hard and/or safety concerns that cannot
abused plaster as I only get hard time, one day be resolved.”
Taken advantage of misled and misused at a time! This last point is a particularly
Why did this have to happen to me? Malicious Mike Cluney -at- Thugz important one. Prisons in North
Why couldn't people leave me alone and Mansion America have frequently used trans-
let me be gender prisoners’ “health and safety”
D
Hurt, anger, sadness and pain as an excuse to lock transgender
Dwell deep in my heart once again prisoners, particularly transgender
Betrayed by uncles and a loser brother women, in solitary confinement “for
Always thought they were to look out for their own protection.” The United
one another
Nations Special Rapporteur has
I'm all alone to deal with heartache, pain identified the practice of doing this to
and fears
trans prisoners as a form of torture.
Everyday I'm fighting to hold back the
tears Watchdogs must take care to ensure
All I can do is ask for forgiveness and say that even with these new policies
I'm sorry in place, prisons don’t continue to
This is my poem violate transgender prisoners’ human
My life story Darkness doesn't rights.
#21 Hide In early 2017, CSC issued a policy
Alfred Charlie It reveals directive reinforcing their commit-
It leads us through ment to their discriminatory policy
T L The unknown regarding the assignment of transgen-
Just being with you And awakens our senses
der prisoners in federal institutions,
Has really helped me grow. To all we cannot see with a few minor changes. While they
What you mean to me From darkness comes light
R.R. Jamieson planned to continue placing prisoners
Is something you'll never know. in prisons based on their genitalia
To lose a feeling like this
S W 'F I ' and not their gender identity, the new
Is really hard to shake
I care even more There are so many emotional, intellectu- directive did amend the procedures
With every breath I take. al, psychological, and therapeutic benefits for eligibility for sex reassignment
I want your love to writing poetry. Just try jotting down surgery. Under the new order, prison-
And will fight to have it all. whatever words come to you on paper ers can apply for the procedure after
I would give you mind and see what comes out. You might having lived openly in their gender
And never let you fall. surprise yourself. And then submit your identity for 12 consecutive months.
All I got to do now masterpiece to us for printing in a future
Cont'd on page 5
issue of Cell Count!
4 // news on the block
Sixties Scoop Class Action Lawsuits in Canada: Are you Eligible for Compensation?
Sixties Scoop Rally & March at Allen Gardens, Toronto, Fall, 2011. Crystal Luxmore | Flikr
By Simona Babiak
An Ontario Supreme Court judge
has made a historic ruling in a case that
will greatly impact Indigenous people
in Ontario who were removed from
their families in what has been termed
the “Sixties Scoop”. The decision stat-
ed that the federal government failed
to ensure that these children did not
suffer as a result of their removal from
their communities and had therefore
failed in their duty of care. Over 16,000
Indigenous adoptees in Ontario who
were placed in foster care from the mid
1960s- mid 1980s have the potential to
be included in this class action lawsuit
and to be entitled to compensation.
The ruling was delivered on Febru-
ary 14, the day on which Indigenous
activists and their supporters gather
each year to grieve and demand justice
for over 4,000 missing and murdered
Indigenous women and girls across
Canada. The judge’s decision is re-
garded as a flawed but still significant
victory by many activists and communi-
ty members. This is the first legal ruling
in Canada which establishes access
to traditional culture as a right for
Indigenous people which the federal
government has a duty to protect.
At the beginning of February 2017,
the government had filed for the case
to be dismissed, but this was turned
down. This marked the 8th time they
had filed for dismissal since the begin-
ning of the class action lawsuit eight
years ago, on top of the 16 attempts
to have the case adjourned. Canadian
taxpayers have been billed over $2
million dollars to pay for the team of
nine lawyers who have been fighting
for the government to maintain their
refusal of accountability to Indigenous
communities. The push to suspend
judgment on the case came one week
before the ruling was set to be released
and was a deeply insulting display of
arrogance and denial of responsibility
by the federal government. Sixties
Scoop survivors have voiced con-
cern about the pending settlement as
PASAN's women's program updates and how to make positive affirmations
By Keisha Williams
Your Women’s Community Program Lead at
PASAN | Image by silverchild24 - Flikr
We’ve been having a lot of fun
in the women’s program this winter.
Despite the cold, we are finding ways
to keep each other warm inspired and
smiling through difficult times and in
the most unsuspecting places. We had a
blast at ‘Healthy Love’ at Grand Valley
Institution (GVI) an extended work-
shop on sexual health put on in part-
nership with Black CAP and University
of Toronto. Women got a chance to
be silly while learning A LOT! PASAN
was honored to attend this year’s Black
history month (BHM) celebration at
Vanier (VCW) and to speak at the BHM
inadequate to address the immense
harm which child welfare policies have
caused to Indigenous communities.
Colleen Cardinal, a Scoop survivor and
prominent Indigenous rights advocate,
stated in an interview with APTN that
“...we’re talking about a lifetime of
loss, right, of loss and denial. Like I’m
44 years old right…how do you put a
number to loss and grief ?...The whole
process of what happened to survivors
really devastated communities. So we’re
not wanting to see that again, right.
We’re not wanting for adoptees to get a
lump sum of money and a meaningless
apology.”
In 1951, the Indian Act was amend-
ed to allow provincial and territorial
child welfare organizations the legal
right to apprehend children on reser-
vations. From the 1960s to the 1980s,
about 40% of all children in foster care
across Canada were Indigenous, even
though Indigenous people made up
about 3-5% of the national population.
Despite the sustained advocacy and
push back from Indigenous communi-
ties and some positive changes to child
welfare policies, Indigenous families
are still preyed upon by child welfare
agencies across Canada. For example,
Indigenous children now make up
70% of children in care in Saskatch-
ewan, a chilling increase which took
place long after the Sixties Scoop was
supposedly over. Recent studies show
that children growing up on reserves
receive 22% less funding per child in
basic support services than any other
children in Canada, and end up being
placed in care at a rate which is 6 to 8
times that of other children. There are
currently three times more Indigenous
children removed from their families
than there were at the height of the
residential school period. It is clear to
see that the issues are far from over.
Even for Ontario’s Indigenous adoptees
who have aged out of care, the pain,
trauma and isolation that many live
with every day will not end with this
lawsuit. Those who have been adopted
celebration at GVI – a
special mention to
the women at GVI
for creating such a
delicious and nutri-
tious Caribbean meal.
On the outside we
attended the Women
and HIV symposium
on Advancing HIV
positive women’s
health and wellbeing.
We had an excellent
International Women’s
Day (IWD) cele-
bration as part of the Circle of Care
program. The Racialized Trans Group
is growing steadily (happening once a
out are significantly more likely to
experience conflict with the law
and incarceration, to have mental
and physical health struggles and
to develop issues with substance
use. This is by no means a sign of
individual deficiency but rather
that the trauma of being removed
from one’s culture and family is
something which must be taken
seriously.
An important aspect of tran-
sracial adoption of Indigenous
children which is often ignored is
the large sums of money involved.
Child welfare organizations were
paid a substantial sum from the
federal government per child that
they removed. The very nature
of this situation ensures that
the abduction of children from
Indigenous families was profitable
and therefore desirable to the agencies
receiving direct financial benefits. Many
children were taken from their families
and sold off to families in the United
States or as far as Europe. The CBC re-
ported on several cases of international
adoptions of Canadian Indigenous
children in which adopting families
paid from $6,400 to $30,000 for the
children. The now-adult adoptees recall
being told that they had been ‘bought’
and were now ‘owned’ by their adoptive
families. One woman remembers her
adoptive mother telling her that she
should be grateful that they had paid
anything at all for her. Canadian child
welfare services financially profited
from removing Indigenous children
and placing them in the foster system
within Canada. They profited even
more from selling Indigenous children
to foreign adoption agencies, which
then also made money from selling
them to families. Many child welfare
and adoption workers have made
careers out of displacing and harming
these children. The situation begins
to sound more like human trafficking
than a benign process of child welfare
intervention.
While this ruling is indeed a victory
for the individuals who find themselves
included in the qualification param-
eters, it also ignores the experiences
of all those who will not qualify for
compensation as it is currently written.
At this moment, the lawsuit technically
excludes: any Indigenous person born
off-reserve, any non-status Indigenous
person, and any Indigenous person
who was removed from their family
pre-1965 or post-1984. However, the
government is still in negotiation re-
garding settlement and there is a chance
that those who are currently excluded
will also benefit from the case. Chief
Marcia Martel, the original plaintiff in
this case, has vowed that she will refuse
to settle until all Indigenous Ontarians
who were harmed during the Sixties
Scoop are included and has emphasized
month). We began
the spring with a
Women’s apprecia-
tion event where we
had yoga, a beauty
bar and a catered
lunch for women
in the community,
some of our com-
munity partners
from Maggie’s and
COUNTERfit
harm reduction also
attended. Lastly, we
recently launched a
small project called “word of encour-
agement” where women (both in and
out) write inspiring notes.
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
that everyone affected should contact
the lawyers as soon as possible.
The Ontario decision has set a
promising precedent for class action
cases across Canada seeking compensa-
tion for those who have been harmed
by Canada’s ongoing colonial policies.
In March 2017, another class action
lawsuit was filed on similar grounds, but
as a federal Supreme Court challenge.
It will therefore include all Indigenous
adoptees who were put in foster care
with a non-Indigenous family across
Canada. Indigenous Affairs Minister
Carolyn Bennett has vaguely stated that
the federal government is considering
settlement options which would include
all Sixties Scoop survivors in Canada,
but declined to comment regarding the
pending federal lawsuit or anything re-
garding the procedures through which
this could be implemented. There is an-
other existing Federal Court class action
lawsuit for all Indigenous Sixties Scoop
survivors which was filed in 2015.
However, that lawsuit is being managed
by Merchant Law Group, the firm
which has faced great controversy after
representing survivors of residential
schools in a past successful class action.
Merchant Law Group made $25 million
from the federal government after
winning their case, in addition to fees
from each successful claimant. Claim-
ants only received $10,000 for their first
year in residential school and $3,000
for every year after, and then had to
give a substantial amount to the law
firm in fees. Merchant Law Group has
been accused of falsifying records and
of taking advantage of claimants, and
have made enormous sums of money
from the suffering of residential school
survivors. Morris Cooper, co-counsel
in the Ontario class action, went on
record with APTN stating that “[t]
he nature of class-action litigation is it
has become more analogous to staking
mining claims than to actual progress
of litigation. They are now coming in
as the government says ‘we’d like to
sit at the table to settle,’ purporting to
represent people for their financial gain,
not because they have some interest in
protecting this disadvantaged group.”
It is important to maintain a critical
perspective on these class action cases
and to remember that this is not a sign
that the issues of ongoing colonialism
have been resolved. However, it is still
an important step forward for Indige-
nous people across Canada in address-
ing the historical violence perpetrated
against them and changing harmful
child welfare practices which continue
to this day.
If you are eligible to receive com-
pensation in Ontario’s class action
lawsuit, please call 416-956-5625 or
1-866-360-5952 (toll free). When we
spoke to those coordinating the set-
tlement process, they recommended
for prisoners to avoid the hassle of
If you are a woman in a prison/
jail other than VCW or GVI and you
would like to receive a note of inspi-
ration, please send us your name or
call Keisha with your name.
Please get in contact with us (write
or call toll free) to let us know what
kinds of workshops you’d like us to
offer, questions you might have or
artwork you’d like to share!
I’ll end with some words of Affir-
mations (positive thoughts that help
create a new experience of life for you):
I trust myself and when I believe and
trust in myself, so do others; I have the
power to have my heart’s desire; I allow
healthy love to find me; I can always
choice how to respond to my surround-
phone calls, and instead to send a
letter to the Ontario Sixties Scoop
Steering Committee and request a
registration form. They will send
you a form and a pre-paid envelope
to return it in.
Ontario Sixties Scoop Steering
Committee
137 Church St.
Toronto, ON
M5B 1Y4
This is the only Sixties Scoop law-
suit at the settlement stage in Cana-
da at this time and there is currently
no deadline for registration.
Other pending Sixties Scoop class
action lawsuits:
Canada-wide: all Indigenous people
who were removed from their families
and placed in the care of non-Indige-
nous foster or adoptive parents who did
not raise them in accordance with that
individual’s Aboriginal practices and tra-
ditions, EXCLUDING all Indigenous
people who are part of the class which
the Ontario class action lawsuit applies
to. For more information, contact
Hannah at Koskie Minsky law firm at
416-595-6290 (will accept collect calls).
British Columbia: all Status Indians
born in B.C. who were placed into
non-Indigenous foster or adoptive care
in which both adoptive parents are
non-Aboriginal, between 1958 to 1996
are eligible.
Contact Deborah Wong at Klein
Lawyers at 604-874-7171 for more
information.
Manitoba: all Status and non-status
Indians and/or Métis individuals born
in Manitoba who were placed into
non-Indigenous foster or adoptive care
after September 2, 1966 are eligible.
Koskie Minsky LLP and Troniak Law
firms are representing the class. For
more information, contact Hannah at
Koskie Minsky law firm at 416-595-
6290 (will accept collect calls).
Alberta: all Status and non-Sta-
tus Indians and/or Métis individuals
born in Alberta who were placed into
non-Indigenous foster or adoptive care
after July 1, 1962 are eligible.
Koskie Minsky and Ahlstrom Wright
Oliver & Cooper law firms are repre-
senting the class. For more information,
contact Hannah at Koskie Minsky
law firm at 416-595-6290 (will accept
collect calls).
If you are eligible for one or more
of these lawsuits, it is recommended
to contact the legal firm and speak to
them further. A class action lawsuit
doesn’t require you to engage with the
court process, but you will receive com-
pensation if they win. The lawyers will
take a fee from all class members who
receive compensation if the lawsuit is
successful but you won’t have to pay
any fees if they lose.
Are you a 60s Scoop survivor who would
like to get your story out? Write to us for
publication in a future issue of Cell Count.
ings; I love myself unconditionally (no
matter what)
HOW TO MAKE AN AFFIR-
MATION: listen to your negative self
talk and or worries (things you say to
yourself in your head that don’t make
you feel good) – it may take some time
to hear and identify them – be patient
and gentle with yourself! (Ex. I am not
smart, I don’t deserve to be happy, I am
not loved, etc.); Write down something
positive that specifically addresses the
worry or thought. (Ex. I am intelligent,
I deserve joy in my life, I love myself
unconditionally, I see love where it is
present in my life); Read regularly (espe-
cially when negative thoughts come up)
– Balance out your thoughts!
5 // news on the block
Pressure mounts against Canada’s use of solitary confinement
By Victor Bruzzone
Since we last wrote about the use of
solitary confinement in prisons there
has been a growing consensus that
Canada’s (and specifically Ontario’s)
prison and jail system is at the edge of a
crisis. The emerging cases of mistreat-
ment related to solitary confinement,
like that of Adam Capay, continue to
put pressure on the corrections system
in Canada to change. According to the
United Nations Committee Against
Torture, when solitary confinement
(called ‘administrative segregation’ by
Canadian corrections bureaucracy)
is used for more than 15 consecutive
days it is torture1. As mentioned in our
previous story, the use of solitary con-
finement in Canada has been increas-
ing in the last ten years. In response,
there has been a vast chorus of voices
(including our own) demanding the
practice of solitary confinement be
ended. In response, Corrections Service
Canada recently released a statement
arguing that its practice of adminis-
trative segregation causes none of the
negative health effects associated with
solitary confinement2. Experts consider
this statement to be ridiculous as it
contradicts the overwhelming academic
research done on the subject.
Acknowledging the negative physical
and psychological effects of solitary
confinement as practiced in Canada,
the College of Family Physicians of
Canada recently released a statement
calling for an end to the use of solitary
confinement as a form of punishment
and a ban on its use on those with
mental illness. The College also argued
that using solitary confinement for the
health-related reasons can often makes
problems worse3.
Ontario’s new independent advisor
on corrections, Howard Sapers recently
spoke to scaling back the use of solitary
saying, “I don’t expect that it’s entirely
going to disappear, but it’s supposed to
be exceptional, it’s supposed to be rare,
and particularly over the last decade it’s
been neither of those things”4.
In the wake of all this momentum
against the use of solitary, former
prisoner Arlene Gallone of Quebec,
alleging that her rights were violated
after spending nine months in solitary
confinement at the Joliette Institution
for Women, has brought a class-action
lawsuit against Correction Services of
Canada. The lawsuit seeks $10,000 in
damages for each inmate held in admin-
istrative segregation (not disciplinary
segregation) for longer than 72-hours
since February 24th, 2013.
Lawyers estimate there could be
thousands of federal inmates across
Quebec eligible for compensation if
the lawsuit is successful1 (if you are
a Quebec federal inmate and want to
learn more about Arlene Gallone v. Attor-
ney General of Canada, you can contact
Arlene Gallone’s law firm at Trudel
Art by Ricky J.
Johnston & Lespérance, (514) 871-8385
poste 210).
While the use of solitary should clearly
be stopped, the logistics of actually
doing this could prove complicated. As
Tamara Khandaker reported for Vice,
some corrections officers are speaking
out about lack of resources in prisons5.
“Even when we’re just at capacity, it
feels overcrowded”, said Tom Kenny, a
corrections officer at Fort Francis Jail.
The general agreement amongst cor-
rections officers according to the Vice
story is that prisons desperately need
more support and staff. “When people
talk about the overuse of segregation,
absolutely, 100 percent. It’s overused
because they’re not giving us any other
tools… We need more staff,” explained
Mike Lundy, a corrections officer at
Thunder Bay Jail. Paul Herbacz, an
officer at Kenora Jail reported that his
facility is bursting at the seams housing
198 inmates while being designed for
only 115. This has led to a reduction in
basic inmate privileges. “Inmates don’t
have a lot to look forward to while
they’re in jail, so when you’re cancelling
their yard… it causes unrest”, explained
Herbacz.
On an editorial note, Cell Count
opposes any expansion of prisons and
jails, as they currently exist. Therefore,
we don’t agree that the solution should
be to hire more prison and jail staff.
Instead we would rather see policies
that lead to more people being released
from the system.
Mother-child prison programs can make
a huge difference in mothers’ and chil-
dren’s lives. So why are so few women
prisoners able to access them?
By Zina Mustafa
Throughout the world, mother-child
prison programs have been a way to
help reverse the damage that prison
causes to family life. In Canada, these
programs were first federally instituted
in 1999. They received frequent use
until 2008, when Correctional Service
Canada (CSC) enacted new, restrictive
policies excluding mothers involved
in crimes of a serious nature from
accessing the program, and reducing
the age for part-time participation from
12 years old to 6 years old. This current
system greatly discourages many wom-
en from participating in the program.
The opportunity to retain custody
of children has a great deal of benefit
for mothers in prison. It’s been shown
to help reduce recidivism and drug
use. Being separated from children can
often have serious effects on a mother’s
health and happiness. On top of this,
keeping children with their mothers has
numerous physiological and psycho-
logical benefits for the child. It helps
reduce the risk of developing anxious,
depressed, or withdrawn behaviour, and
having the opportunity to breastfeed
helps maintain the child’s health, and
allows them to develop the vital moth-
er-child bond that encourages emotion-
al development.
Only ten women are currently en-
rolled in Canada’s federal program. The
lack of accessibility of this program is
problematic, especially since two-thirds
of federal prisoners in women’s institu-
tions are mothers of children under the
age of 18. Women, especially those who
are Indigenous, are the fastest-growing
prisoner population in the country.
Incarceration is having increasingly
devastating affects on Indigenous com-
Finally, after our last piece on
solitary confinement many readers con-
tacted our office mentioning their own
experiences. In light of this, we would
like to encourage readers who have
had experiences in solitary con-
finement to write-in for printing in
our next issue. It’s one thing for us to
write about the use of solitary, but it’s
quite another to hear stories about what
it’s actually like to be in solitary confine-
ment (when writing please let us know
if you’d like to remain anonymous). We
think it is important for such stories to
be shared.
1
United Nations News Service. (2011,
October 18). Solitary confinement should
be banned in most cases, UN expert says.
Retrieved from http://www.un.org/apps/
news/story.asp?NewsID=40097#.WM8Z-
K3QrJE5
2
White, P. (2016, December 11). Canada’s
prison agency argues segregation doesn’t
affect inmates’ health. Retrieved from
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/
national/canadas-prison-agency-argues-seg-
regation-doesnt-affect-inmates-health/
article33295097/
3
The Canadian Press. (2017, February 27).
Family doctors call for Canadian prisons,
jails to end solitary confinement. Retrieved
from http://www.citynews.ca/2017/02/27/
family-doctors-call-for-canadian-pris-
ons-jails-to-end-solitary-confinement/
4
CBC Radio. (2017, January 3). Former
prison watchdog says it’s time to scale back
on segregation in Ontario. Retrieved from
http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/
howard-sapers-solitary-confinement-segrega-
tion-1.3919199
5
Woods, A. (2017, January 23). Quebec
munities, and the mother-child prison
program could play a small role in help-
ing relieve some of these problems.
Provincially, British Columbia is leading
the way in incorporating mother-child
programs into their prisons. In Maple
Ridge, the Allouette Correctional
Centre saw their program shut down
in 2008. But in 2013, the BC Supreme
Court decided that the closure of the
facility infringed on the rights of wom-
en and their children. The program was
originally closed because the warden did
not feel that paying the costs of child
care should fall under his institution’s
responsibilities. Under the direction of
the Court, the program was reopened
in 2014. Since then, two women have
used it.
Mother-child units often offer
women access to prenatal and parenting
skills programs and facilities to care for
infants while they serve their sentenc-
es. Women live with their children
in separate housing facilities. At the
Fraser Valley Institution for Children,
mothers and their children live either in
one of the bungalows located outside
the perimeter fence, or in a two-story,
minimum-security building just outside
the perimeter. Other inmates may apply
to live with the mother and child, acting
as babysitters or “aunties.”
It’s clear that the accessibility of
these programs needs to be improved.
Very few provincial mother-child
programs are in place. The ones that
are rarely used due to their restrictive
application policies.
Have you ever attempted to enrol in a
mother-child program at your institution?
Please write in and let us know about your
experiences! We’d love to hear about them.
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
Trudeau makes promise to trans prisoners
Concrete blossoms cont'd from page 3
This is an improvement on the old policy, which held that prisoners had to have
been living openly in their gender identity for 12 months prior to being incarcer-
ated. Further, the CSC will be obligated to pay for prisoners’ sex reassignment
surgery if it is deemed to be a medical necessity by a medical professional.
However, just a few days after the CSC released this directive, Prime Minister Jus-
tin Trudeau was questioned about the Liberal party’s policy on transgender pris-
oners during a town hall in Kingston, ON. A transgender woman and advocate
urged Trudeau to change the CSC’s policy of placing prisoners in prisons based
on their genitalia, calling it a form of torture. Trudeau admitted that this issue
hadn’t been on his radar up until this point, and promised to look into it further.
Shortly after this occurred, the CSC released an amendment to their policy. Trans
prisoners in federal institutions will now be considered for placement in prisons
based on their gender identity, regardless of whether they’ve undergone sex-reas-
signment surgery or not.
South of the border, Shiloh Heavenly Quine, a 57-year-old transwoman
serving a life sentence in California, just became the United States’ first prisoner
to receive state-funded sex-reassignment surgery. Quine expects that this will
end a long-running cycle of depression that’s caused her to try to cut and hang
herself in prison five times. She will be transferred to a women’s prison after the
operation is complete.
Quine’s case inspired a federal magistrate to provide trans women housed in
men’s facilities with items including nightgowns, scarves, necklaces, and other
materials that can improve trans woman prisoners’ quality of life.
As s.e. smith notes in a recent piece in Rolling Stone magazine entitled “Fight
For Trans Rights in Prison Can’t End with Chelsea Manning*,” many transgender
women in the United States, like in Canada, are confined in men’s institutions, de-
spite the fact that this is in violation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act. Again,
like in Canada, these women are often put in solitary confinement, in a move that
corrections officials claim is, “for their own protection.” There are over 3000
trans federal prisoners in the United States. In 2012, over 30% of this population
had reported having been sexually assaulted.
In light of this, it is noteworthy that the Canadian government does not keep a
record of the number of transgender prisoners it holds. Given the amount of vi-
olence and discrimination this population endures, this lack of acknowledgement
is glaring. Identifying the number of people in Canadian prisons who identify as
transgender would help prisoner activists and their allies lobby for trans prisoners’
rights more effectively, if only by proving that trans prisoners exist. As it stands,
not keeping numbers on this minority demographic is a silencing act.
Have you experienced gender/identity-based discrimination at your institution? Please write
in and tell us your story!
To those who kept me alive all
these years, thank you
By Chelsea E. Manning - originally printed February 13, 2017 in The Guardian
To those who have kept me alive for the past six years: minutes after President
Obama announced the commutation of my sentence, the prison quickly moved
me out of general population and into the restrictive housing unit where I am now
held. I know that we are now physically separated, but we will never be apart and
we are not alone. Recently, one of you asked me “Will you remember me?” I will
remember you. How could I possibly forget? You taught me lessons I would have
never learned otherwise.
When I was afraid, you taught me how to keep going. When I was lost, you
showed me the way. When I was numb, you taught me how to feel. When I was
angry, you taught me how to chill out. When I was hateful, you taught me how to
be compassionate. When I was distant, you taught me how to be close. When I was
selfish, you taught me how to share.
Sometimes, it took me a while to learn many things. Other times, I would forget,
and you would remind me.
We were friends in a way few will ever understand. There was no room to be
superficial. Instead, we bared it all. We could hide from our families and from the
world outside, but we could never hide from each other.
We argued, we bickered and we fought with each other. Sometimes, over abso-
lutely nothing. But, we were always a family. We were always united.
When the prison tried to break one of us, we all stood up. We looked out for
each other. When they tried to divide us, and systematically discriminated against
us, we embraced our diversity and pushed back. But, I also learned from all of you
when to pick my battles. I grew up and grew connected because of the community
you provided.
Those outside of prison may not believe that we act like human beings under
these conditions. But of course we do. And we build our own networks of survival.
I never would have made it without you. Not only did you teach me these
important lessons, but you made sure I felt cared for. You were the people who
helped me to deal with the trauma of my regular haircuts. You were the people who
checked on me after I tried to end my life. You were the people that played fun
games with me. Who wished me a Happy Birthday. We shared the holidays together.
You were and will always be family.
For many of you, you are already free and living outside of the prison walls.
Many of you will come home soon. Some of you still have many years to go.
The most important thing that you taught me was how to write and how to speak in
my own voice. I used to only know how to write memos. Now, I write like a human
being, with dreams, desires and connections. I could not have done it without you.
From where I am now, I still think of all of you. When I leave this place in May,
I will still think of all of you. And to anyone who finds themselves feeling alone
behind bars, know that there is a network of us who are thinking of you. You will
never be forgotten.
6 // art
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
A journey through the PASAN mosaic
cont'd from page 6 Words of Encouragement

"Stay Real and Stay True "Stay Beautiful

"Don't let your circum- Keep Smiling!!
stances overcome you. Don't let nothin' or no-
one break you." Don't you ever let anyone
"No one is left behind" "Nobody fails here" Freedom is a must." steal your Shine
Keep it Real"

"Positive Thoughts "Stop Signs Are Only An

Positive Actions
Positive Reaction Opinion!" - Trapeezy
Respond Don't React
The Fence Birds breaking the fence Stay Positive"

"Did you know?

Medicine Wheel
Zodiac Signs
Peace
"Freedom is a state of
mind. In solidarity" -

"One Day We'll all

be FREE"
The Sun
The hands tied

"Hey Gorgeous!!
Keep your head up!
Don't ever give up! "Love Yourself.
The Creator Loves I DO! miss you." - Sasha C.
Everyone. No Matter
"Stay Beautiful What you've been
Keep Smiling!! through! You are
Don't you ever let never too old to
The stag, river and mountains The Box anyone steal your conquer your hopes
Shine" & dreams. So Just
Remember YOU ARE
LOVED"
The women’s program at PASAN developed an
activity where incarcerated women in various
institutions can create artistic words of encour-
The finished piece, It was so big we had to photograph it in parts! agement for each other as a way to support,
inspire and stay connected to one another. We
but at 12 ft long and 4 ft wide, weighing in at about 200 lbs, we might need your help to move the damn invite you to take in these words of affirmation
thing! and encouragement. If you like you can also "There is nothing Bad about being a
Following the construction of the base, the design was transferred onto it and we were ready to rock! create your own to be featured in the next cell Good Girl!"
(no pun intended). Now that we have the design… What’s next? Well - It’s time to get dirty! Twice a week count!
(Mondays and Thursdays) PASAN invites clients, community members, and friends to come join in and
Art by Jeremy Hall

get their hands working. Music and refreshments help set the mood. Sounds of clippers and files fill the
air as folks try to sculpt the perfect pieces.
The piece will be complete by the time we go to print, so if you’re out and in Toronto in the future,
stop by 526 Richmond St E to experience it for yourself, you won’t regret it.
Special thanks for all of your excellent work, as well as your contributions to this article, to:
Anna Camilleri, lead artist and designer
Katie Yelland, community artist
Wy Joung Kou, community artist
Karis Jones, community artist
What do you think of our new mosaic? We would love to receive your feedback about it. Also, if you would like to see
your art published in a future issue of Cell Count, please send away! We print in colour now, so feel free to make it as
colourful as you want!
7 // health and harm reduction
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
Hepatitis C
Safer Injecting Strategies

Use Sterile Injection Equipment. Have a New Spare Sterile

Mindfulness - or “Lighting Up” Your Mind
Basics my power - or at least enough of it for

Image by Ian Burt | Flikr

You can take steps to
prevent getting hepatitis C.
If you have hepatitis C,
new treatments can cure
it and keep your liver
healthy.
Injection drug use is the
most common way people
get hepatitis C.
If you share injection
equipment with someone
who is infected with
hepatitis C, this puts you
at risk.
Even a tiny amount of
blood— so small you can’t
see it—can contain the
Avoid Reusing or Sharing.
Your blood may end up on any item you touch
or use when injecting, including syringes,
cookers, cottons, water, and ties. Use new,
sterile equipment each time you inject.
If You Must Reuse Equipment,
Then Mark Yours.
Avoid sharing any injection equipment.
The virus is alive in blood outside the body.
If you must reuse, keep a set of works with
markings on it so you know it’s yours.
Syringe To Split Drugs.
now to (finally!) give me a real fighting
chance.
So, what is mindfulness and how does
it work? Basically, it’ s intentionally living
with awareness in the present moment
without judging it. Sounds simple, eh?
It’s not. It takes practice, which typically
Get an extra syringe for splitting drugs
drugs.
Use an extra sterile syringe to split drugs, takes the form of meditation.
using your own cooker and cotton. Avoid
drawing up from a cooker if someone else To meditate, you sit down, assume
has used it. There may still be blood on it.
a comfortable, upright position, close
your eyes, and bring all your attention
If You Must Share a Syringe, to the breath entering and leaving either
Then Bleach It.
the nostrils or the belly. Don’t control
the breath, but simply observe it as it is.
Sensations and emotions will arise. Don’t
cling to or reject them; they rise and fall,
appear and disappear, like everything else.
Just calmly observe them and redirect
your attention to the breath.
If you must share a syringe, then clean
it with bleach and sterile water. As your mind steadies, so too will
your breath. Then something almost
Step 1: Rinse the syringe with sterile water.
Step 2: Rinse the syringe with bleach.

virus.
This is why hepatitis C
can be passed on (trans-
mitted) by sharing any
equipment
that may have come in
contact with someone’s
blood while injecting.
If you are getting high,
you can protect yourself
and others from getting
hepatitis C. Getting tested,
talking about your status,
and injecting safely
can reduce your risk of
contracting or passing the
virus onto others.
Distributed by Harm
Additional Prevention Strategies
Use Sterile Tattoo and
Piercing Equipment
and Single-Use Inkpots.
Ensure sterile equipment, including inkpots,
is used and not shared by others.
Use Your Own Snorting Straws
and Crack Pipes.
Snorting Straws: Snorting drugs can cause
Step 3: Rinse again with (new) sterile water.
Avoid Sharing Toothbrushes,
Razors, and Nail Clippers.
Household Items: Have your toothbrush, nail
clipper, and razor clearly identified. Seek care
if you have dental problems, including bleeding
gums, abscesses, or other dental issues.
Use Condoms and Lubrication,
and Get Tested.
Sexual Transmission: Hepatitis C can be
magical begins to happen: consciousness
awakens from its stupor and enters the
unconscious mind, wherein lie the roots
of destructive conditioning. Conscious-
ness is like light, the roots like insects
that live in the dark: light kills them.
But watch out: with the dark reaches of
the unconscious mindfully exposed to
the light of consciousness, all kinds of
shadowy effects will occur, making the
"insects" seem so big and scary that you
By Nick Paccione PFG - pure fucking glee. But only might become frightened and tempted to
Have an addiction? Caught in destruc- “sometimes,” and only “almost.” Life "turn off the light." Don't. It's all just an
tive behavioural patterns? Tired of expe- isn’t perfect for me - far from it. I still illusion. With patience and persistence,
riencing and creating so much suffering? struggle, get down, and experience the harmful reactive tendencies which
Feel lifeless? Powerless? Hopeless? Well, self-doubt. Moreover, the recovery these insects represent will dissolve and
you may want to give mindfulness a shot. process looks more like a pretzel than a give way to real, conscious action - action
I did, and my life hasn’t been quite the straight line. that is positive, creative, and helpful to
same since. So why the PRG? Hope, baby yourself and others. Your innate potential
You see, I’m a sex addict. Have been - hope. Yeah, recovery is slow and for love and connection begins to shine
since 13, or for the last 36 years, the last clumsy, but recovering I most certainly through.
19 of which have been spent inside. Sex am. I know it. I FEEL it. Indeed, So, light up your mind! Meditate! Once

addiction, like any addiction, is devas-

Reduction Coalition
www.harmreduction.org
212-213-6376
irritation to the inside of your nose, which
may lead to bleeding. To be safe, use your own
straw when snorting cocaine or others drugs.
Crack Pipes: A hot stem may burn or crack lips
which can cause bleeding. Use your own pipe,
or cover a shared pipe with your own rubber
stem cover.
transmitted through sex that involves
blood-to-blood contact, such as during anal at a very subtle level I can feel the a day for 15-30 minutes is good; twice a
sex, rough vaginal sex, or while a woman
is menstruating. Risks increase if you have tating. Like a cancer, it destroys you, entire pattern of my life changing, day for a total of 50-minute s or more
multiple sex partners, or have been diagnosed
with any STIs or STDs, including HIV. Using consumes you from within. Your power with negativities gradually dissolving. is better. Throughout the day too, while
condoms and lubrication and getting tested
to choose sinks into an inner abyss of I feel calmer, lighter, more patient and walking in the yard, brushing your teeth,
good-humoured, more sensitive to the cleaning your cell, or whatever, take a
or treated for STIs and STDs can protect both
you and your sexual partners. darkness and despair and drags hope
few minutes here and there to bring total

Microgreens and me
down with it. Life becomes bleak indeed. needs and suffering of others, and, awareness to the present moment. Careful-
Such was my life BM - before mindful- most importantly, more in control of ly observe everything you do and feel. Be
ness. myself-of my actions, my urges, and mindful. Be conscious.
Today, however, though only months even my thoughts. You might say that Have questions for Nick about starting a med-
By Mr. Valley into regular mindfulness practice, I mindfulness has allowed me to tap into itation practice while inside? Write to us and we'll
Having recently landed in Bea- sometimes almost want to scream with a wellspring of free will and to reclaim pass your questions on to him for our next issue.
vercreek minimum, I was given the
opportunity to take a 3-week course in
horticulture. Great, I thought. The op-
portunity to learn more about growing
The fentanyl crisis: Canada vs Portugal
By Kira Hogarth-Davis
plants. Because a man that can grow This January, the BC Coroners 2001 the country was suffering a heroin Summer 2017, but he has further
his own food will never grow hungry. service revealed that last year in British epidemic that impacted approximately announced that his government has no
What I learned blew me away.
I’m an old hippie. We smoked our pot Columbia alone over 900 people died 1 of every 100 people. By 2012, after plans to legalize or regulate any other
and thought bean sprouts were some from drug overdoses, making 2016 the a decade of decriminalization, Portugal illegal substance. Instead the Prime
kind of wonder drug. Well… Micro- deadliest year for overdose deaths on had achieved one of the lowest fatal Minister has sent $10 million to British
greens are to bean sprouts what Thai record. Dr. Patricia Daly of Vancou- overdose rates in the word, with just 16 Columbia alone as part of a strategy to
cooking is to pork and beans. Both will keep you alive. One packs just a little more ver Coastal Health, the authority for deaths across the country's 10.5 million help stop overdose deaths that includes
punch to your day. providing health and addiction services people. Portugal’s addictions treatment creating more supervised injection sites,
Now all you cats with access to the internet don’t need to read any further. for the Greater Vancouver area pointed isn’t only centred around decriminal- and more access to opioid substitution
Google, baby. This is written for those inside the walls of denial. Those living in that unlike the heroin crisis of the ization; the country also offers a wide treatment. The BC government has
the dark ages still. No Google for you. I know I’m going to mention things that 1990s, the spread of fentanyl overdoses array of support systems organized by not officially announced exactly how
will be a struggle for some… To gain access to seeds in particular. But a dried bean is reaching beyond downtown areas the health ministry. In Portugal, people the $10 million will be spent, but as the
is life on the lay-away plan. And you don’t have to be a rocket scientist to open up and are affecting communities across can obtain access to a 10 day supply of province has outlined “more policing”
that store. No a little dirt from the yard, spread thin – an inch think, if that’s all the province. Though Vancouver has a drug without facing charges, but are as one of its priority areas to address
you’ve got – On a plastic bag spread out where the light can get to it in a week or been operating supervised injection
so, a little water, and your seeds. also given addiction services alongside the crisis, it looks as though Canada’s
Lay out the dirt in a shallow plan. Tamp it lightly down, so the surface is even sites and needle exchanges since 2003, both counselling and employment federal and provincial governments are
and tight, but not packed hard. Lay the seeds so close together they touch. Water this the wide reach the overdose crisis opportunities. Though decriminaliza- stuck in a criminalization mindset and
them – give the earth a good soaking. Cover the seeds with moist paper towel, means that reliance on existing facilities tion isn’t the only facet of Portugal’s are unprepared to fully address addic-
or something that will breathe so the seeds don’t dry out. Don’t cover the seeds is not enough to aid those increasingly strategy, the de-stigmatization of drug tion as matter of health.
impacted by fentanyl. As most existing use and drug addiction has gone a Hunter, J. (2017, March 2). Trudeau says he won’t
with dirt. If the seeds are big – like peas or beans or corn (popping corn will taste decriminalize illicit drugs beyond marijuana. The
great!) soak them overnight before spreading them out. supervised injection sites and addiction long way to helping those who need it. Globe and Mail. Retrieved from: https://beta.
The pan should be kept comfortably warm. 70-80 degrees Fahrenheit. Keep services are in Greater Vancouver, the Because of decriminalization, society theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/
it moist, but not soaking wet. Spritz it, or sprinkle it to prevent the seeds, covered trudeau-says-he-wont-decriminalize-illicit-drugs-be-
rest of the province remains under- can talk openly about drug use and it is yond-marijuana/article34197772/?ref=http://
and dark, from drying out. Check the seeds each day. 7 – 10 days for most plant serviced by addictions facilities. This treated mostly as a health issue, rather www.theglobeandmail.com&service=mobile
roots to show. Radish roots showed in 4 days. Peas 5. Corn 10. Keep them moist shortage of support services has led than criminal habit. McElroy, J. (2016, February 3). How decriminaliz-
but not drowned. Dr. Day and other addictions experts Despite the positive evidence
ing drugs helped Portugal solve its overdose crisis.
CBC News. Retrieved from: www.cbc.ca/news/
When the plants, uncover to the light once the stems start stretching up, start to to argue that more drastic measures supporting decriminalization, Canadian canada/british-columbia/portugal-drug-crisis-brit-
put out the second set of leaves… Cut them down just above the ground. Careful ish-columbia-1.3962714
to keep the dirt out of your salad. Just stems and leaves. Put these cuttings in need to be considered, including the Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has re- Nair, Roshini. (2017, January 19). Decriminal-
soups, on sandwiches, in your mouth. These plants are packed with the nutrients decriminalization or full legalization of cently rejected recommendations from ization should be considered to stop overdose
and energy of new life. And they are good to eat. Radishes and mustard seeds all illegal drugs health officials to decriminalize drugs crisis, says Vancouver’s chief doctor. CBC News.
Retrieved from: www.cbc.ca/news/canada/
make spicy plants. Popping corn seed eaten like this tastes like corn on the cob! The European country of Portu- beyond marijuana. The Prime Minister british-columbia/decriminalization-should-be-con-
And they are crunchy like bean sprouts of old. Microgreens. Mmmm good. gal is a successful example of how has promised that he will introduce sidered-to-stop-overdose-crisis-says-vancou-
Got to go. I’m having a flashback. I think I hear Bob Dylan calling me. decriminalization can save lives. In legislation to legalize marijuana before ver-s-chief-doctor-1.3942650
8 // resources & about pasan
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 80//SPRING 2017
EAST COAST
COALITION des ORGANISMESCOM- BLACK INMATES & FRIENDS ASSEM- PEEL HIV/AIDS NETWORK KIMAMOW ATOSKANOW FOUNDA-
ALLY CENTRE MUNAUTAIRES QUEBECOIS de LUTTE- BLY Accept collect calls TION
Take collect calls CONTRE le SIDA (COCQSIDA) 2518 Eglinton Avenue West 160 Traders Blvd, Unit 1, Mississauga, Accept collect calls
150 Bentinck St, Sydney, NS, B1P Accept collect calls Toronto, Ontario M6M 1T1 L4Z 3K7 RR 1, Site 1, Box 133, Onoway, AB, T0E
1G6 902-567-1766 1 est, rue Sherbrooke, Montréal, H2X ph (416) 652-3131 1-866-896-8700, 905-361-0523 (Collect) 1V01-866-971-7233, 780-913-9036
AIDS COALITION of NOVA SCOTIA 3V8 514-844-2477 POSITIVE LIVING NIAGARA PETERBOROUGH AIDS RESOURCE NINE CIRCLES COMMUNITY HEALTH
Accept collect calls COMITÉ des PERSONNES ATTEINTES Accept collect calls from registered NETWORK (PARN) CENTRE
1675 Bedford Row, Halifax, NS, B3J 1T11- du VIH du QUEBEC (CPAVIH) clients Accept collect calls 705 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB, R3G 0X2
800-566-2437, 902-425-4882 1-800-927-2844 (Recommend that you get a case man- 302-159 King St, Peterborough, K9J 1-888-305-8647
AIDS COMMITTEE of NEWFOUND- 2075 rue Plessis bureau 310, Montreal, ager to get registered with them) 2R81-800-361-2895, 705-932-9110 (Col- PLWA NETWORK OF SASKATCHEWAN
LAND & LABRADOR H2L 2Y4 1-800-927-2844 111 Church St, St Catharines, L2R lect) No collect calls
Take collect calls 3C9 905-984-8684 or toll free 1-800- STREET HEALTH CENTRE Box 7123, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 4I1 306-
47 Janeway Place, St. John’s, NL, A1A ONTARIO 773-9843 Accept collect calls 373-7766
1R7 1-800-563-1575 2-SPIRITED PEOPLE of the 1ST NA- ANISHNAWBE HEALTH AIDS PRO- Hepatitis C Treatment Program235 PRINCE ALBERT METIS WOMEN’S
AIDS NEW BRUNSWICK TIONS GRAM Wellington St, Kingston, K7K 0B5 613- ASSOC.
65 Brunswick St, Fredericton, NB, E3B Accept collect calls No collect calls 549-1440 (Collect) No collect calls
1G51-800-561-4009, 506-459-7518 145 Front Street East Suite 105 Toronto, 255 Queen St E, Toronto, M5A 1S4 416- THE AIDS NETWORK (TAN) 54 10th St E, Prince Albert, SK, S6V
AIDS PEI Ontario M5A 1E3 416-944-9300 360-0486 Don’t accept collect calls 0Y5 306-763-5356
Take collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE of TORONTO (ACT) ASIAN COMMUNITY AIDS SERVICE 101-140 King St E, Hamilton, L8N RED RIBBON PLACE
2-375 University Ave, Charlottetown, PE, 543 Yonge Street, 4th floor, Toronto, ON. Don’t accept collect calls right now (they 1B2 905-528-0854 toll free 1-866-563- (ALL NATIONS HOPE AIDS NETWORK)
C1A 4N4 902-566-2437 M4Y 1Y5 416-340-2437 (Please note, will in 2-3 months) 0563 2735 5th Ave, Regina, SK, S4T
AIDS SAINT JOHN they do not accept collect calls) When prisoners call, they offer them THE WORKS 0L2 1-877-210-7622
Don’t accept collect calls AFRICANS in PARTNERSHIP AGAINST small bursaries to cover their calling fees Accept collect calls STREET CONNECTIONS
115 Hazen St, NB, E2L 3L3 506-652-2437 AIDS 107-33 Isabella St, Toronto, M4Y 277 Victoria St, Toronto, 416-392-0520 No collect calls
HEALING OUR NATIONS: No collect calls, call PASAN 2P7 416-963-4300 (Collect) (Collect) 705 Broadway Ave, Winnipeg, MB,
1-800 565 4255 526 Richmond St E, Toronto, M5A BLACK COALITION for AIDS PREVEN- TORONTO PWA FOUNDATION R3G 0X2 204-940-2504 WOMEN: 50
3-15 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y 1R3 416-924-5256 TION Accept collect calls from clients Argyle, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 0H6 204-
2N21-800-565-4255, 902-492-4255 AIDS COMMITTEE of CAMBRIDGE, Accept collect calls 200 Gerrard St E, 2nd Flr, Toronto, M5A 943-6379
MAINLINE NEEDLE EXCHANGE KITCHENER,WATERLOO & AREA 20 Victoria St, 4th Flr, Toronto, M5C 2E6 416-506-1400
Calls from within Nova Scotia are free 2N8 416-977-9955 (Collect) Toronto Community Hep C Program WEST COAST
Accept collect calls
Don’t accept collect calls Have a toll-free number CANADIAN HIV/AIDS LEGAL NET- Accept collect calls AIDS VANCOUVER ISLAND
5511 Cornwallis St, Halifax, NS, B3K 2B-625 King St E, Kitchener, N2G WORK 955 Queen Street East, Toronto, M4M Accepts collect calls. 713 Johnson St,
1B3 902-423-9991 4V4 519-570-3687 (Collect), 1-877–770– Accept collect calls 3P3 3rd Flr, Victoria, V8W 1M8 250-384-
SHARP ADVICE NEEDLE EXCHANGE 3687 1240 Bay St #600, Toronto, M5R 2A7 416-595- 416-461-1925 (Collect only on Tuesday & 2366 or 1-800-665-2437
Accept collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE OF GUELPH 1666 (Collect) Friday, 11am-5pm) PLBC - PRISON OUTREACH PROJ-
150 Bentnick St, Sydney, NS, B1P Accept collect calls, prefer that people FIFE HOUSE Once out, please call 416-417-6135 ECT
6H1 902-539-5556 (Collect) use their Accepts collect calls 1107 Seymour St, Vancouver, V6B
SIDA/AIDS MONCTON 490 Sherbourne St, 2nd Flr, Toronto, M4X 1K9 PRAIRIES
89 Dawson Rd, Unit 113, Guelph, N1H 5S8 Toll Free: PROV - 604-525-8646
Accept collect calls as long as they’re 3X2 1-800-282-4505; 519-763-2255 416-205-9888 HIV COMMUNITY LINK FED - 1-877-900-2437 (#’s approved
HIV related (Collect) HIV & AIDS LEGAL CLINIC OF ON. Accept collect calls by institutions and are NOT Collect
80 Weldon St, Moncton, NB, E1C AIDS COMMITTEE of NORTH BAY (HALCO) 110-1603 10th Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T3C Calls)
5V8 506-859-9616 and AREA Accept collect calls 0J7 403-508-2500 POSITIVE WOMEN’S NETWORK
Accept collect calls 65 Wellesley St E, Toronto, M4Y AIDS SASKATOON 614-1033 Davie St, Vancouver, V6E
QUEBEC 1G7 1-888-705-8889
201-269 Main St W, North Bay, P1B 1143 Ave F N, Saskatoon, SK, S7L 1X1306-242- 1M7 Toll Free: 1-866-692-3001 (BC
CACTUS 2T8 705-497-3560 (Collect) HIV/AIDS REGIONAL SERVICES (HARS) 5005 1-800-667-6876 Only)
Accept collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE of OTTAWA Accept collect calls CENTRAL ALBERTA AIDS NET-
1300 rue Sanguinet, Montreal, H2X 700-251 Bank St, Ottawa, K2P 1X3 613- 844-A Princess St, Kingston, K7L WORK SOCIETY NATIONAL
3E7 514-847-0067 238-5014 (Collect) or Toll Free (ON & QC 1G5 613-545-3698 (Collect) No collect calls CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF ELIZA-
CENTRE for AIDS SERVICES MONTRE- only) 1-2800-461-2182 ONTARIO ABORIGINAL HIV/AIDS 4611 50th Ave, Red Deer, AB, T4N 3Z9 BETH FRY SOCIETIES (Women)
AL (Women) AIDS COMMITTEE of THUNDER BAY STRATEGY 403-346-8858 701-151 Slater St.
Accept collect calls 574 Memorial Ave, Thunder Bay, P7B Accept collect calls HIV EDMONTON Ottawa, ON
1750 Rue Saint-Andre, 3rd Flr, Montreal, 3Z21-800-488-5840, 807-345-1516 (Col- 844-A Princess St, Kingston, K7L 9702 111 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, K1P 5H3
H2L 3T81-877-847-3636, 514-495-0990 lect) 1G5 613-549-7540 (Collect) T5G 0B1 1-877-388-5742 (613) 238-2422

PASAN is a community-based HIV Service organization O E Sena Hussain

that strives to provide community development, educa- Eveline Allen Editor-in-chief
tion and support to prisoners and ex-prisoners in Ontario Prison Education Programs: Regional Prison In-Reach Coordinator
ON HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV) and other harm reduction PASAN conducts HIV prevention education programs in Eveline has worked at PASAN for 17 years, providing prisoners in Mooky Cherian
many adult and youth institutions in the southern Ontario Toronto with harm reduction education, HIV & HCV prevention, Field Supervisor
issues. PASAN formed in 1991 as a grassroots response
region. This program includes a Peer Educators Group, transmission and treatment information. If you are incarcerated
to HIV in the Canadian prison system. Today, PASAN at the Toronto South Detention Centre (TSDC) or the Toronto East
whereby ex-prisoners living with HIV are educators for Janet Rowe
is the only community-based organization in Canada Detention Centre (TEDC) and would like a harm reduction program
current prisoners. Cell Count Supervisor
exclusively providing HIV and HCV prevention, education on your unit or a private one on one educational please call 1-866-
PASAN conducts free training for those working with 224-9978 Ext. 238
and support services to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their Simona Babiak
prison-affected and drug using populations. Training Simona Babiak
families. Placement Student Editor & Contributor
topics include:
S S ▪ HIV & Prison Kerrigan Beaver
▪ Harm Reduction Treatment Access Coordinator Victor Bruzzone
Individual Support Services: Kerrigan works with clients for pre & post release planning. It’s Writer
▪ The Impact of Segregation
about reintegration back into their community. This includes con-
▪ Individual support & counselling ▪ Stigma & Discrimination necting clients up with healthcare, social and community supports. Kira Hogarth-Davis
▪ case management Mooky Cherian
▪ pre-release and post-release planning
S A Writer
Program Manager
▪ referrals Since our beginnings in 1991, PASAN has always Zachary Grant
Federal Hep C Program Coordinator Shelby Kennedy
▪ advocacy for medical services maintained a focus on systemic issues of HIV/AIDS and
Seth Clarke Writer
▪ housing supports prisons. Some has been involved in many systemic
Federal Community Development Coordinator
▪ phone support through collect calling advocacy efforts including: Trevor Gray Zina Mustafa
▪ emergency financial assistance (limited budget for fees ▪ Prison Needle Syringe Project (2014/15) Community Programs Coordinator Resources & Copy Editor
related to identification and prison release. Application ▪ Advocacy against the use of segregation Sena Hussain
▪ Presentation to the Canadian Human Rights Commis- Communications and Resource Development Coordinator
requirements exist) Nick Paccione
sion (2001) Sena is the new editor of Cell Count, and looks forward to getting
the newspaper out to you more regularly again! Writer
▪ Advocacy for male-to-female transsexual/transgendered
Community Support Services: Lindsay Jennings
prisoners and HIV (1999) Provincial HepC Program Coordinator Mr. Valley
PASAN also provides support AIDS Service Organizations
▪ Presentation to the Presidential Advisory Council on Caludia Medina Writer
and community groups across Ontario. This includes:
HIV/AIDS in Washington DC (1998) Federal HIV Prison Community Development Coordinator
▪ resources & educational materials Janet Rowe
▪ Presentation to the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Keisha Williams
▪ training Executive Director
AIDS (1996) Writer
▪ assistance to set up prison outreach and support Cherisa Shivcharran
▪ HIV/AIDS in Youth Custody Settings: A Comprehensive
projects Provincial Community Development Coordinator
Strategy (1996) Keisha Williams Poetry: Nick Paccione, Eric Charlie aka
▪ strategies to develop referral “hubs” for HIV positive ▪ Organization of the first National Workshop on HIV/ Lonewolf, Reginald Dwayne Betts, Moustafa
Women’s Community Program Coordinator
prisoners AIDS in Prison (1995). At work, she enjoys supporting Women and Trans people to make El Kaaki, Anthony George, Justin Daniels, L.
▪ networking for the development of a continuum of care informed choices (in other words ‘have all the facts’) about their Cardinal, Alfred Charlie, Sean Paul Johnston,
▪ HIV/AIDS in Prison Systems: A Comprehensive Strate-
health and wellness and likes finding creative ways to make it fun! Malicious Mike Cluney Art: Jeremy Hall, Ricky
for prisoners transferred between regions gy (1992) J., R.R. Jamieson