Hey there,
I had a lovely smart son who struggled with mental illness all his life, and we tried repeatedly thru different avenues to understand what he was up against. No success. Long story, sooooo while on probation for misdemeanors he checked himself into hospital for a metnal health assissment. However,after he was arrested out of a mental health facility for "failure to appear for addictions treatment" he almost gave up all hope of feeling normal ever. He was put back in jail for three months and not allowed to finish the intensive residential treatment he was in. Very sad...and frustrating from a mothers point of view.
In 2007 he was discarged, attempted suicide and was put back in jail for breeching probation. When he came out , I took him home where he went manic, tried to rob a store.....and was shot dead by police.
Since then I was invited to sit on the Correctional Service Canada in a citizens advisory capacity. While involved a psychiatrist took me aside, knowing my interests in mental illness treatments in corrections, and showed me that he got no information on the mental state of the offender/accused when released. I was not surprised but learned that CSC is supposed to, withing the first 90 days of an offender being incarcerated, undergo a psych assessment. So when I was involved in meetings with probation officers regarding an offender being released I always asked the question "what is his mental state or where is his/her psych report?" they always told me they dont get anything like that....why not?....its just that way. sigh.
At a point when I was getting very focused on this issue, and was sent for training as chairperson of the Citizens Advisory Commitee...I was locked out. They sited that I held myself out as an expert. No proof....no evidence. I was told to leave and was relieved of my volunteer position.
So when the news of Ashley Smiths death in Kitchener's Grand Valley Institution hit in 2007....I contacted the family in Nova Scotia to know more. I visited with Coralee Smith in Dartmouth NS for a week in 2011. Now the inquest is going on in Toronto and I recomment you follow what happened to this young girl...who's only offence was tossing crab apples at the mailman.
The mentally ill are not protected, diagnoses, treated or cared for in our jails, prisons, detentions centres and megaprisons.
I believe the outcome of Ashley Smith's Coroners Inquest recommendations will change this to some degree. But with Harper's policypush for more prisons.....I just dont know.
Karyn Graham