Ashley Smith was in solitary confinement. The 19-year old was being held on suicide watch. In October, 2007 she strangled herself with a piece of cloth.
A psychiatrist hired by Corrections Canada claims Ms. Smith's use of ligatures - while on suicide watch - was not evidence of suicide. Dr. Margo Rivera claims Smith's binding behaviour was probably done out of boredom.
This horrendous story began when Smith got into trouble at age 15 for throwing apples at a postal worker. She never got out. Instead she kept getting into trouble that extended her sentence. At 18 she went into the adult system and then into federal penitentiary. Later it was determined Ashley Smith was mentally ill.
Obviously the feds don't know what their doing with mental health, not that they ever did. This is Dickens.
ReplyDeletePaperwork stopped the watchers from intervening. This could be your daughter or mine. And now I want to throw something....
You touch a nerve Anon. Where are today's Dickens, our Twains?
ReplyDeleteNot only Feds don't know but also provinces are equally ignorant when it comes to mental health.
ReplyDeleteWhat they put her through after throwing apples at a postman anyone will become mental patient.
CSC, according to the Ombudsman's report, also abused the transfer policy, in order to keep this young person in solitary confinement, until Ms. Smith died needlessly. This government has let ALL of our young people down with the direction they've taken us. Make that all of us, whether or not they admit it.
ReplyDeleteI work professionally with several psychiatrists. I'm constantly amazed at how f'd up most of them are. They live in another universe.
ReplyDeleteRather than being only a helping profession, it's interesting to discover how much experimentation goes on. I was fascinated to learn via NPR of the input the profession has had over the years, especially after 9/11, with the CIA and interrogation techniques. There is a sharp divide among the DR's as to the ethics and morality of it all. Psychiatry has quite a history of mistreatment, themselves, of women years ago and prisoners and other unwilling participants.
ReplyDeleteWell said double nickel.
ReplyDeleteThat includes more than just psychiatrists though and extends to many whose job involves some sort of Social work / psychology.
My most recent experience was with a PHD in Psychology at a Physical Rehabilitation facility. That woman had issues.