Names in this story have been changed for confidentiality. This article contains discussion of childhood sexual abuse. From the time I began working with incarcerated men in Nova Scotia, I heard stories about abuse at the “Youth Training Centre” for supposed young offenders in Waterville. In phone calls and letters, as we built trust together, […]
A prisoner on prisons: “Habeas Corpus in a Nutshell”
Dylan Gogan was incarcerated in terrible conditions, unable to access the most basic resources, but taught himself case law from scratch and changed how Nova Scotian prisons operate.
The Journal of Prisoners on Prisons released a special issue on October 19th. From the press release, This special issue, titled “Dialogue on Canada’s Federal Penitentiary System and the Need for Change,” features dozens of contributions written by criminalized women and men currently incarcerated in Correctional Service Canada (CSC) institutions. The writings document the counterproductive changes […]
A Tale of Two Families: Morning File, Saturday, December 24, 2016
A Tale of Two Families 1. Punishment It’s been almost a decade since Ashley Smith’s death in prison. Every year, her sister tells me, she hangs a special ornament for Ashley in the centre of the Christmas tree “as we try to get through the holidays.” Many of us know Ashley’s story, and it may […]