It was 39 years ago that Eddie Nolan was found dead in a solitary confinement cell at Millhaven, a penitentiary in Bath, Ontario. On the first anniversary of his death, August 10, 1975, Nolan was memorialized by a group of fellow Millhaven inmates. This Saturday marks the thirty-eighth annual Prisoner’s Justice Day, as the occasion has come to be known in justice advocacy circles. And though it may have begun as a small commemorative gathering in a remote penitentiary, the day is now recognized by thousands of Canadians, both in and out of prison.
Prisoner’s Justice Day is an opportunity for people across the country to reflect on the challenges faced by Canadians in the penal system, and all those prisoners who have died in Canadian prisons. Among prisoners this entails fasting and rejecting work. But there are also ways for people living on the outside to take part.
Here in Toronto, there will be an event [PDF] at the Church of the Holy Trinity. Sponsored by advocacy groups including the John Howard Society of Toronto, Elizabeth Fry Toronto, and the Canadian Families and Correction Network, it will be a gathering of supporters, with presentations from speakers.
The focus of this year’s Prisoners’ Justice Day is the impact that having a parent in prison has on children. “Prisoner’s Justice Day will raise awareness of the need to support these at-risk children and families,” said Jessica Reid, host of the Holy Trinity event and co-founder of one of its sponsors, F.E.A.T. for Children of Incarcerated Parents.
Although the Canadian penal system has changed since 1975, prisoners still face myriad challenges. Census data shows that the number of Canadians living behind bars grew by 17 per cent between 2006 and 2011. Mental health issues continue to haunt a staggering proportion of inmates. A 2009 Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) study found that one tenth of all men and one third of all women living incarcerated in federal prisons suffered from some form of mental illness. And, at least in the eyes of Correctional Investigator for Canada Howard Sapers, CSC’s practices are actively putting prisoners lives at risk. “Over the previous 5 years, I have identified specific deficiencies and gaps in CSC’s efforts and practices to prevent or respond to deaths in custody,” Sapers wrote in a recent annual report. “Security rounds, counts and patrols, which speak to the integrity and quality of dynamic security practices within CSC, need to improve measurably before they can be considered compliant or consistent with preservation of life principles.”