On Wednesday morning, I attended the Public Accounts committee meeting at Province House. Deputy Minister of Justice Karen Hudson, Chris Collett Executive Director of Correctional Services, and provincial Director of Correctional Services Sean Kelly were answering questions about the Auditor General report from May, 2018. Among other concerns, the report revealed jails were not following the rules […]
Jails lose crime investigation evidence
The sensitive information has been missing for over a month, and no one has any idea where it is. The documents include crime scene photos, names of witnesses, video of statements to the police, and other evidence. The privacy of every person named in those files has been compromised.
On Tuesday, I attended Dartmouth Provincial Court for the preliminary inquiry into the murder of Nadia Gonzalez. Samanda Ritch and Calvin Sparks are charged with first degree murder. But before the inquiry could start, there were two issues. The first was that Sparks’ lawyer, James Giacomantonio, had to remove himself from the case due to […]
There is nothing self-deprecating or ironic or even remotely funny about this boring headline
Morning File, Thursday, September 20, 2018
News 1. Maurice Pratt Yesterday, Justice James Chipman dismissed Maurice Pratt’s habeas corpus application. Pratt was the first of at least eight prisoners at the Burnside jail to have their habeas applications heard by Chipman. (The others are scheduled for Monday, but I’m hearing there may be a delay.) The prisoners filed their applications in […]
“Culture of fear”: a former guard relates his experience at the Burnside jail
"The moment you walk in the door at Burnside you are stripped of your dignity and humanity. No matter your sex, religion, or creed. No matter if you are an inmate or staff member."
A former correctional officer who worked at Central Nova Scotia Correctional Facility (the Burnside jail) is concerned that the lack of attention to conditions in the jail will lead to violence and to people getting hurt. The former officer contacted the Halifax Examiner and spoke about his experience working at the jail on the condition […]
Three men say they were sexually abused as teenagers at the Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre
Morning File, Friday, September 7, 2018
News 1. Child sex abuse Three men allege that they were sexually abused as teenagers when they were housed at the Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre in Bible Hill. The Nova Scotia Youth Training Centre was an institution for young people with mental disabilities. I’m withholding the men’s full names until and unless they want to be […]
Five prisoners at the Burnside jail ask the court to order them released from solitary confinement
Five prisoners at the Burnside jail have filed habeas corpus applications with the Supreme Court. The applications arrived at the courthouse yesterday, September 5. Kaz Cox, Matthew Grimm, Maurice Pratt, Steven Skinner, and Leonard Greenough each say they are wrongfully being held in solitary confinement for 23 hours a day. It’s unclear if any of […]
The Burnside powder keg: Broken promises, dehumanizing body scans, unfair solitary confinement, non-working toilets, lockdowns, and more
"We have 40 guys living together in the same room, without any physical equipment, no physical outlets. It’s very hard, and it’s gonna lead to violence."
The Halifax Examiner is covering the prisoner protest at the Burnside jail: • The statement released by the prisoners can be read here. • An interview with Jason MacLean, NSGEU President and correctional officer is here. • A prisoner account about the staffing shortage, the lockdown, and the problems with the change to a direct supervision […]
Nurse: We should support prisoners’ demands for better health care
"There have been claims that health care is better at Burnside than outside. This is simply not true."
Martha Paynter is a nurse, nursing PhD student, and director of Women’s Wellness Within. On August 21, the prisoners at the Burnside provincial jail launched a peaceful protest, in solidarity with a large prisoner strike in the United States, to call for basic improvements in health care, rehabilitation, exercise, visits, clothing, food, air quality and […]
Guards refuse to work in the new day room at the Burnside jail; prisoners have been on lockdown since the weekend
On Sunday (August 19), the Examiner published a statement by prisoners at the Burnside jail outlining the conditions in the jail and presenting 10 demands. Jason MacLean, NSGEU President and correctional officer responds here. The protest is in part sparked by the move to the direct supervision model. Both staff and prisoners say that the change […]
“We’re Living It With Them”: NSGEU President and Correctional Officer Jason MacLean responds to the prisoner protest at Burnside
On Sunday, the Halifax Examiner published a statement written by prisoners at the Burnside jail. The prisoners say they are embarking on a non-violent protest in solidarity with their counterparts in U.S. prisons; however, the Burnside prisoners have their own set of demands. To get the perspective of the guards at the jail, El Jones […]