Maple Ridge, June 1, 2006
Dear Francis,
It has been one week now since I was transferred from zoo to safari. I am still in a cage, but I now have a little more space to move around. I must admit that, after having spent six weeks in the horrible correctional center in Surrey, I had some difficulty adjusting to my new environment.
During the first few days, I felt like an animal crouching in my cell: it was difficult for me to occupy the space around me and to organize my day. Since my space had been so limited for six weeks, and the daily routine disturbed by repeated confinements in my cell, I must admit I didn’t even feel like going outside anymore.
I felt like I was sleep-walking without being able to process the information coming to me. Little by little, sensations return, survival instinct comes back. I now understand the fear of leaving the prison that inmates often experience. They must learn again to function in society; this is very difficult when all liberties have been taken away and when our most basic rights are scorned.
So, I am becoming accustomed, little by little, to my space. However, unexpected events occur constantly. When I think I have learned something, other events occur and disturb the perception frame I am trying to establish.
As an example, yesterday, after having called my lawyer whom I had not been able to reach in two days, I arrived in the kitchen at 5:07 PM for dinner. Apparently, the cafeteria doors were opened early (we usually eat at 5:00) and when I arrived, most women had finished eating. As a result, the guard at the door refused to let me in and I did not eat dinner. I explained that I am pregnant and need to eat, but to no avail.
Today, we had hamburgers for lunch. I could only eat half of mine, because I have gastric reflux if I eat too much at a time, since the baby is high. Therefore, I left the cafeteria with half of my hamburger. No chance: the guard made me throw it in the trash since we are not allowed to leave with food. I explained the reason why I needed to keep it, but she said I needed to make a request to the health services to be allowed to take food into my cell. So, I had to throw my half hamburger into the trash.
Guards have total power, rules are not written anywhere, and therefore they are free to do whatever they want. Pretty bad.
I saw the Consul and Cecile Walk last Monday. They were surprised to learn that I had been transferred. I was able to explain that I was the first to be surprised: on Tuesday, I asked the scheduled time of the hearing for the next day, and I learned at 9:00 pm that I would be transferred. I was worried that they would transfer me so that I would not be able to attend my hearing (this is common practice, according to several inmates. On Wednesday, I learned from the lawyer that the hearing had been cancelled.I also learned from a guard that my transfer was only approved at the last minute. The official version is that the prison management did not want to send me to the Alouette center because my case is being covered in the media. In these instances, inmates are isolated (often in solitary confinement) to prevent information from being spread. This confirms the fact that the management tried to reduce my communication with the outside to a minimum.
Regarding the incident on May 8th, when all the people in our section were confined; in short, I had the choice between physical violence suffered if I had moved to a different section and the violence from the institution. Since I “elected” to remain in my original cell, I had to be confined. I think the right “answer” would have been to allow me to come out of my cell and to explain to the other inmates that I had nothing to do with the harassment claim.
I finally got to see the doctor this week. In 8 weeks, I gained one kilo. I have contractions periodically and I feel very tired. The doctor told me to rest and to lie down every afternoon. Therefore, I do not go to work, but, which is worse, I cannot go to court because I will not be able to tolerate the trips. Since the trial should last about 10 days, I will have to wait until the baby is born before going to trial.
I also have a urinary infection. I am waiting for confirmation from the lab, but to this day I have not received any medication, and I am exhausted. Today, I was crying continuously for no apparent reason, just from exhaustion. I can’t recover and am becoming weaker every day.
If I had not been pregnant, I believe I would have spent all the days until my trial in solitary confinement. This is harassment and torture; I don’t know any other word to define it.
These techniques to break down prisoners are common in British Columbia, the typical “Far West” province. I learned a detailed example of these practices from an inmate and when I tell her story, you will have an idea of how far abuse can go.
This woman has an uncle whom she likes very much. She used to go fishing with him and would eat with him and her aunt. The uncle leads a double life and is a drug dealer. A few months ago, Canadian police seized his boat with 2 tons of drugs.
The uncle was able to defend himself and have the lawsuit dropped because of a technical detail. Since then, the police are trying to catch him again. Since they know that this lady likes her uncle, they began to harass her to obtain information – which she does not have – and to catch her uncle.
First, police arrested her several times in the middle of the night. She lives alone with her 14-year old daughter. Police would keep her in custody for a few hours and release her, since there was no warrant.
Then, police went to see her boss and told him that he should fire her because she was involved in drug traffic. They told him that if he didn’t fire her, he would be suspected of complicity to drug traffic. Therefore, he fired her, but she says he was crying.
Later, police began to follow this lady everywhere. She thought she was going crazy. Her best friend was also followed by police. Finally, police arrested the lady with a warrant citing 30 indictments.
At the same time, her car was confiscated and searched for drugs. The crown refused to release her from prison before her trial and her daughter was placed under the “protection” of social services. During her incarceration in custody cells, police came regularly to offer her money if she would talk about her uncle’s activities. She refused, since she knew nothing of his illegal activities.
In the cell, guards refused to feed her. They also refused to give her a blanket and a mattress. She did not have toilet paper. She remained in prison for several months, waiting for the Crown to schedule the trial. She was financially ruined and lost her house. At 38, she has nothing left.
Finally, she broke down and decided to plead guilty for 4 of the 30 indictments, even though she is innocent on all counts. Her reasoning is that she must get her daughter back because her daughter is not well. By pleading guilty, she does not have to wait for the trial and the sentence may be shorter than the waiting time.
She was sentenced to 7 months but will be released in 4 months. She is required to attend drug rehab programs even though she has never taken drugs. You could think this is a bad joke, but it is reality. The worse is that she knows that when she gets out, she will be again tortured and harassed until she talks.
It makes me sick. As you can see, I am not the first victim of the “legal” terrorism in the British Columbian justice system.
My immune system is weak and I am scared. In fact, I learned last Sunday that there a skin infection epidemic called MRSA. This infection is very contagious and even the strongest antibiotics can’t always cure it. I learned of this epidemic by accident when the health services called me to perform a test on my skin and asked me to give a saliva sample.I refused both tests because it looked suspicious. Actually, a medical student was doing research and had “forgotten” to tell inmates that these tests were optional.I was really angry to learn that this student could collect DNA samples from inmates without their authorization. Again, I risked solitary confinement because the instructions came from the prison guards. This confirms that the prison system is an accomplice to researchers who use inmates as lab rats.
Here you are. Life goes on and I am surviving. I know you are fighting as hard as you can, and I know that many people are helping. This is encouraging. Please give the children lots of kisses for me and give my love to Jean-Philippe.
I love you very much,Nathalie
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