Videos show 'dehumanizing' treatment of teen Ashley Smith

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Videos show 'dehumanizing' treatment of teen Ashley Smith
Topic Started: Nov 2 2012, 01:25 AM (415 Views)
Darcie	Nov 2 2012, 01:25 AM Post #1
Skeptic Posts: 31,154 Group: Member Member #714 Joined: March 30, 2010	Videos of teenager Ashley Smith taken in the months before she died in a prison cell show the teen was subjected to “degrading and dehumanizing” treatment, her family’s lawyer told a coroner’s hearing in Toronto Wednesday. Julian Falconer led the hearing through the video clips shot prior to Oct. 19, 2007, the day the New Brunswick teen died from strangulation after tying ligatures to her neck in her cell at Grand Valley Institution for Women in Kitchener, Ont. Corrections Canada had gone to court to try to block the videos from being made public, but lost the case. Falconer is now fighting to have the videos played in front of a coroner's jury. "To people who think this can't happen in Canada to a mentally ill 19-year-old, you know a picture speaks a thousand words. I'm embarrassed to be Canadian when I look at that video," the lawyer said outside the hearing. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/10/31/ashley-smith-inquest-scope.html This is the system that our taxes pay for, this is how we treat mentally ill persons. Now, we are trying to put the facts under the table. How absolutely disgusting.



goldengal	Nov 2 2012, 01:30 AM Post #2
Mistress, House of Dogs Posts: 11,674 Group: Member Member #715 Joined: March 31, 2010	Saw this on the news last night Darcie, and as you said, it was absolutely disgusting. Those were the words I was going to use before I read yours. Sickens one to think something like this can happen in Canada. Take care, Pat



angora	Nov 2 2012, 05:22 AM Post #3
WWS Book Club Coordinator Posts: 14,494 Group: Member Member #717 Joined: March 31, 2010	I havent seen the video and I wont. I read about what happened to this child and I know I cannot stand to see it. If this does not reach the hearts and minds of the 'tough on crime, toughen up on kids' proponents, nothing ever will. They have to be overcome because they will not learn. We must drive the rightist groups out of government. So, we must unite. No more squabbling between like-minded people. While we're congratulating ourselves on our debating skills children like Ashley are being tortured.



Dana	Nov 2 2012, 07:29 AM Post #4
WWS Hummingbird Guru & Wildlife photographer extrordinaire Posts: 13,054 Group: Member Member #830 Joined: March 23, 2011	Ditto Angora Quote: While we're congratulating ourselves on our debating skill There's no changing minds this way. That's one reason I don't argue much with those who seem to thrive on it plus the debates usually degenerate into name calling. Either 2 parties for us here in Canada or strategic voting. I'm pretty darned sure my silly friend who wasted her vote 'protesting' will not do so next time. Tough on crime is tough on those in jail which number includes many of the homeless mentally ill. Not the right way to treat those folks<- ourselves.



Darcie	Nov 2 2012, 09:16 AM Post #5
Skeptic Posts: 31,154 Group: Member Member #714 Joined: March 30, 2010	What bothers me is that this is not an isolated incident. I know there are people who call us bleeding hearts and they think that people in jails asked for it.



erka	Nov 2 2012, 09:17 AM Post #6
Gold Star Member Posts: 5,330 Group: Member Member #233 Joined: February 8, 2006	Quote: Smith was first incarcerated at the age of 15 for throwing crab apples at a postal worker Why was she incarcerated for this mischief?? Why wasn't she given counselling/advice?



Kahu	Nov 2 2012, 03:49 PM Post #7
Posts: 31,109 Group: Administration Member #150 Joined: December 14, 2005	That's almost like being 'transported to Australia' for stealing bread in the 18th century.



margrace	Nov 2 2012, 11:47 PM Post #8
Gold Star Member Posts: 5,367 Group: Member Member #723 Joined: April 1, 2010	Harper is lecturing the people who look after this. Isn't this his responsibility? He should be doing something rather than saying we will let the lawyers look after it as he did in parliament yesterday. It is obvious that like the rest of his positions he really could care less about the mentaly ill people.



Darcie	Nov 3 2012, 12:27 AM Post #9
Skeptic Posts: 31,154 Group: Member Member #714 Joined: March 30, 2010	Government won't interfere in Ashley Smith inquest, Harper says Quote: Harper responded that the Smith case is "a terrible tragedy" and said information that has come to light shows corrections officials acted in an "unacceptable" way. He said his government will look at whether additional investments need to be made in the "mental-health aspects of our correctional policies." http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/11/01/ashley-smith-videos-reactiom Unbelievable, who's job is it to protect citizens, all citizens. I would at least say deplorable and have an inquest into her death. I figure this is at the least manslaughter with guards looking on.



friendshipgal	Nov 3 2012, 02:35 AM Post #10
Guess everyone wants their own Trudashians Posts: 12,815 Group: Member Member #241 Joined: February 12, 2006	The crab apple offense wasn't the first, Smith was first charged with a criminal offence in March 2002, when she was 14 years old. In the following year, she faced charges of causing a public disturbance, trespassing and assault, according to a report from the New Brunswick Office of the Ombudsman and Child and Youth Advocate. Actually what Harper said was that there is a provincial coroner's inquest under way with arguments between lawyers on procedural matters going on. When they are resolved they will look at the issue. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews also said that the Ashley Smith case is a clear example of why the mentally ill should not be in prisons. There is nothing obvious here about the gov't not caring, unless you mean the provincial gov'ts. Harper responded that the Smith case is "a terrible tragedy" and said information that has come to light shows corrections officials acted in an "unacceptable" way. He said his government will look at whether additional investments need to be made in the "mental-health aspects of our correctional policies." In other words they may need to increase spending on mental health corrections. I'm not sure if it's usual for the Fed. gov't. to interfere in a provincial case or the provincial inquest but note this is simply political agitation attempting to smear the federal gov't. Edited by friendshipgal, Nov 3 2012, 02:37 AM.



angora	Nov 3 2012, 02:43 AM Post #11
WWS Book Club Coordinator Posts: 14,494 Group: Member Member #717 Joined: March 31, 2010	I dont care who solves the problem as long as somebody does .. and before something similar happens again. BTW I dont think more money is the answer. Somebody might want to think for a change.



Dana	Nov 3 2012, 02:44 AM Post #12
WWS Hummingbird Guru & Wildlife photographer extrordinaire Posts: 13,054 Group: Member Member #830 Joined: March 23, 2011	Tough on crime did this to the girl, Bad :B.S.Meter: politics. Edited by Dana, Nov 3 2012, 02:45 AM.



friendshipgal	Nov 3 2012, 02:49 AM Post #13
Guess everyone wants their own Trudashians Posts: 12,815 Group: Member Member #241 Joined: February 12, 2006	Tough on crime by various provinces, this was not a federal issue and the inquiry is a provincial one. What Mr. Harper said is that the government is not in a position to interfere in provincial legal matters. This is just the opposition and it's followers looking to make political brownie points on this. It might be possible to have a federal inquest after this one is over, I don't know. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashley_Smith_inquest I didn't realize that she had been transferred to a federal institution where she died, but the inquest is a provincial one not federal so as the PM said, they are not in a position to interfere with the ongoing process. Obviously it's a tragic series of events. Edited by friendshipgal, Nov 3 2012, 03:04 AM.



Bitsy	Nov 3 2012, 02:54 AM Post #14
Veteran Member Posts: 31,383 Group: Member Member #267 Joined: March 11, 2006	friendshipgal Nov 3 2012, 02:49 AM Tough on crime by various provinces, this was not a federal issue and the inquiry is a provincial one. What Mr. Harper said is that the government is not in a position to interfere in provincial legal matters. This is just the opposition and it's followers looking to make political brownie points on this. It might be possible to have a federal inquest after this one is over, I don't know. If this not a federal issue, which from what I read that is true, why were federal lawyers involved? Quote: While federal lawyers lost a court battle to keep the videos under wraps, they are still fighting to limit the scope of the inquest, which would block scrutiny of what happened to Smith in prisons outside Ontario. http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/2012/11/01/ashley-smith-case-harper_n_2059425.html



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