CELL COUNT
Art by Jeremy Hall
Tribute to a friend
By Greg McMaster
If you knew Peter like I knew
Peter. I struggled for months on
how to write a proper tribute
and meaningful memorial for
Peter Collins, a man I considered
to be a friend, confidant, and
inspiration. It took me a while to
get my head around the fact that
I will never see Peter again, ex-
change letters with him, or work
on a variety of projects together.
Whether we are citizens, pris-
INSIDE 2 3
THE
BULLETIN
SUMMER BOARD
ISSUE
FREE - FOR PRISONERS, EX-PRISONERS & THEIR FAMILIES
oners, activists, humanitarians,
we have all lost a precious voice
that reminded us we are all one
of a kind - human kind. Fortu-
nately for us, Peter’s work, life
and inspiration lives on through
his amazing art work and literary
prose. More importantly, Peter
Collins lives on through his fami-
ly and multitude of friends, Peter
strove so hard to become. Peter
and I truly did walk a mile in the
other man’s shoes. We were
both very young, convicted of
FROM
INSIDE
similar high-profile offenses, and
as a result experienced the ab-
solute worst the broken criminal
justice and correctional system
has to offer. Although Peter and
I did not traverse the darkness
together, we understood we
were kindred spirits for having
survived quite similar journeys.
Yet, Peter did much more than
survive. He literally flourished by
giving a voice to the voiceless.
By standing as an example of
what could be done with hard
4 11
NEWS
5-8
WRITINGS
ON THE
BLOCK
ON THE
WALL
work and determination and
truly served as an inspiration to a
litany of community-based orga-
nizations. Peter Collins was our
bright light in the darkness, our
lighthouse on top of the hill to
show us the way through many
storms. My memories of Peter
are many, but some of the more
vivid are those where no words
were spoken. Peter and I would
be sitting in a room of 20 or
more people, mixtures of citizen
volunteers and fellow prison-
9-10 HEALTH &
ART HARM
REDUCTION
SUMMER 2018 - ISSUE #85
ers, working on one project or
another. As the chatter in the
room would pick up and person-
al debates would stir, Peter and
I would just look at each other.
Without saying a word, we would
know exactly what the other
was thinking. He already knew
the end game and what needed
to be done to get us there. The
only question his eyes would ask
me was, “are you going to wrap
this up so we can get to the next
point, or am I?”
cont'd on page 9
12
RESOURCES
& ABOUT
PASAN
2 // bulletin board
Land Acknowledgment
PASAN's office, where we publish Cell
Count, is on the historical territory of the
Huron-Wendat, Petun, Seneca and, most
recently, the Mississaugas of the New Credit
Indigenous peoples. This territory is covered
by the Dish With One Spoon Wampum Belt
Covenant, an agreement between the Haude-
nosaunee and the Ojibwe and allied nations
to peaceably share and care for the lands
and resources around the Great Lakes.
HIV+ Client Services
In order to be a client & access these services
you need to have confirmed HIV+ status and
be a prisoner or ex-prisoner (all times Eastern
Standard time)
• Phone Hours: Mon – Fri from 9-5, except
Tuesday mornings
• Workshops and Programming - Scheduled
usually on Mondays or Thursdays, give us a
call or check out our website for a complete
list of events we have scheduled.
• ID Clinic – 1st & 3rd Thursday 1:00-2:00 every
month - for everyone.
• Release Funds - $50 (twice a year max)
• TTC Tokens – 2 each for clients who attend
workshops
• Harm Reduction Materials – Mon – Fri from
9-5, except Tuesday AM (Safer-Crack-Use-
Kits, Safer-Needle-Use-Kits, Piercing Needles,
Condoms, etc.) - for everyone.
Sometimes we and the phones are very busy so
please keep trying!
About Cell Count
PASAN publishes ‘Cell Count’, a minimum of
4 issues per year. We are based in Toronto on
the traditional territory of the Mississaugas of
New Credit First Nation, the Haudenosaunee,
the Huron-Wendat and home to many diverse
Indigenous peoples. It is sent out for FREE to
Clients & Prisoners in Canada. If you are on
the outside or part of an organization, please
consider a donation @ $20 per year. We are
proud to release our 84th issue to you. We are
also grateful for all the wonderful feedback we
have been receiving from our readers, and en-
courage you to keep putting your two cents in.
Our goal is to have most of our content written
and produced by prisoners and ex-prisoners, so
we highly encourage you to get in touch with
us if you're interested in being part of the Cell
Count team.
Publisher: PASAN
526 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1R3
Circulation: 700+ - Recirculation: ???
All original artwork, poems and writings are the
sole/soul property of the artist and author.
Fair Dealing in the Canadian Copyright Act:
Sections 29, 29.1, 29.2: “Fair dealing for the
purpose of research, private study, education,
parody, satire, criticism, review, and news re-
porting does not infringe copyright.”
A Note about Pen Pals:
We've received a lot of calls and letters asking
about Pen Pals, and it's been difficult delivering
the sad news that we no longer have the ca-
pacity or funds to run it anymore. We know it's
been a really important piece of Cell Count, and
that it has led to some amazing connections
for our readers in the past. We really wish we
could continue it, but due to a lack of resources
it is no longer possible for us. We will continue
to keep a running list of alternative places you
can send your ads and photos, although some
come with a cost. We cannot personally vouch
for these options, so please use them at your
own discretion:
Canadian Inmates Connect: Currently, there is
a $35/year subscription. Your ad will be placed
on a website, and people with internet access
browse through to decide who to connect with.
A point of caution: you are asked to say what
you have been convicted for, and your full
name will be published online. Melissa is the
person to contact for more information. Write
or call her at: Canadian Inmates Connect Inc.
3085 Kingston Rd, Suite 267, Toronto, Ontario,
M1M 1P1 - (647) 344-3404
Black and Pink: Specifically for queer and trans
prisoners. They are based in the United States,
it does not cost anything to be part of the list,
and you don't have to tell them your convic-
tion. Here is how to reach them: Black and Pink
National Office, 614 Columbia Rd, Dorchester,
MA 02125
617.519.4387
Prison Fellowship Canada: This is a faith-
based, Christian organization that connects
prisoners with volunteers of either the same
gender, or where there is a 15-20 year age
difference. The point is for you to have an
outlet to express yourself to someone who will
listen. If you are of the Christian faith, this may
be a great option for you. You can reach them
for more info at: Prison Fellowship Canada -
National Office, 5945 Airport Road, Suite 144,
Mississauga, ON L4V 1R9
905.673.5867
Prisoner Correspondence Project: "..a sol-
idarity project for gay, lesbian, transsexual,
transgender, gendervariant, two-spirit, intersex,
bisexual and queer prisoners in Canada and the
United States, linking them with people who are
part of these same communities outside of pris-
on." - From their website. Write to them here:
QPIRG Concordia c/o Concordia University
1455 de Maisonneuve Ouest, Montreal, QC H3G
1M8
Inmate Ink: "Help us bring Hope to a prisoner
one letter at a time. Offers memberships from
$20 - $40. Your completed ad will be pub-
lished on our website for anyone in the general
public to view and contact you directly. For an
application or more info, please contact Tasha
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
Brown at: P.O. Box 53222 Marlborough
CRO, Calgary AB. T2A 7L9 or www.
InmateInk.ca"
If you have had success using a pen
pal service (other than ours) and would
like to share it with other Cell Count
subscribers, please write to us or call.
We can list it in a future issue.
Moving?
We were getting about 75 Cell Counts
sent back to us each mail-out labelled,
‘Not Here’. Please help us reduce our
mailing expenses by letting us know of
any address change, ASAP! Thank you
for the consideration.
Workload
PASAN has been around for over 25
years now and over the years our
client population has increased dra-
matically. As a result of this increase in
workload, clients may not be able to
spend as much time on the telephone
with staff as we would like. The staff
and volunteers are dedicated and
committed and will continue to pro-
vide the best care possible. Thanks for
your patience and understanding!
Calling all artists, writers (fic-
tion, non-fiction, short stories,
etc), illustrators, cartoonists,
poets, journalists (aspiring or
otherwise), and other creative
types:
We want your submissions! We get
lots of letters from our readers telling
us how much they love seeing all your work
and they’re hungry for more. Send us your
stuff and get published in Cell Count. When
you send us stuff, please make sure you write a
line in that gives us permission to publish your
work. Also, let us know if you would like your
work returned to you or sent on to someone
else! Please also type your work or write clearly
if you can!
Writers: We get a lot of great work sent in that
we are unable to use because of very limited
space. Apologies. Please consider the column
width & keep articles/poems tight & to the
point. Honestly, the first items to go in are the
ones that fit nicely and leave space for others
– quality and quantity! Also, let us know in
writing if it’s ok to edit your work for grammar,
spelling and so we can fit it in.
Please note: If you do send something to
us, please give us a call if you can so we can
look out for it in the mail. Also, call us again
at least a week after you send it to make sure
we got it. If not, if you're sending in a piece of
writing, we can transcribe it over the phone for
you, so keep a copy of everything you send us!
We're especially looking for submissions
from women-identified folks! Women are the
fastest-growing prisoner population in Canada,
but often their experiences are marginalized
in conversations about the prison system. We
want to hear your take on prison, life, family,
or anything else you're interested in writing
about. We can guarantee confidentiality, and
can publish your pieces under a pseudonym if
you want! Please submit your articles, poetry,
art, or letters to the Cell Count editor at 526
Richmond St E, Toronto, ON M5A 1R3 - in the
meantime, check out Concrete Blossoms on
page 5.
A note when subscribing to Cell Count
We have been notified by a few different
institutions that if you'd like your subscription
of Cell Count to make it into your hands, you
have to register at the library to receive it first.
Please do this before requesting a subscription
from us just to make sure! Also, if you are inter-
ested in subscribing please contact: Cell Count,
526 Richmond St E, Toronto, ON, M5A 1R3 or
call Sena at: 1-866-224-9978 ext 228
Fall Issue Due Date!
Firstly, we want to thank everyone who sent us
submissions for this summer issue of Cell Count
so quickly! We were astonished at the amount of
mail we received and relieved that we had more
than enough quality submissions to produce this
issue.
Now that we are back on schedule with Cell
Count, we can get back to our more regular due
dates. Submissions for the The fall issue of Cell
Count will be due September 20th, 2018. For
those who would also like to know the Winter due
date, that will be November 15th, 2018.
Thanks again for the quick turnaround time on
this issue, and we look forward to seeing what you
all come up with for the next issue!
Obituary Section
After facilitating a grief and loss group at Bea-
vercreek Institution in May 2018, and hearing
from people about how grief can often be a
lonely, isolating experience for people inside,
we've decided to dedicate space in Cell Count
for obituaries, as a way to express the impor-
tance someone you may have lost had to you
and others. With this section, we hope to give
you an outlet to express your grief so you don't
have to experience it alone. You can send in
an obituary about someone you may have lost
in prison or on the outside. We will start with
a limit of 125 words per obituary and expand
based on your feedback. You can also send in
a photo or art to accompany it.
Bring PASAN to your group
Are you a PEC/APEC worker or part of a Prisoner
run group? PASAN regularly visits and holds work-
shops at prisons, if you would like to request us to
come and be a part of your work give us a call at
1-866-224-9978. It is a free call from any phone
and we would love to hear from you!
Contact Numbers
If you are in any Federal/Provincial Institution
or Detention Centre call us only with this #:
Toll-free 1-866-224-9978
ID Clinic
The Partners for Access and Identification
(PAID) project opens doors and breaks down
barriers for individuals who do not have a fixed
or permanent address.
The ID Clinics are held at PASAN on the 1st & 3rd
Thursday of each month, 1:00-2:00pm
The project operates at various sites across the
city of Toronto. The PAID project also connects
individuals and families to other services, such
as: primary health care facilities, sources for
housing, sources for food & Legal Aid.
We also provide guidance and awareness
regarding other programs that are available,
including community-based support services.
For more information, please call: Neighbour-
hood Link Support Services at 416-691-7407.
Also at the Toronto South D.C. Put in a request
to see them.
Prison Radio
KINGSTON AREA - CFRC Prison Radio airs
every Wednesday evening from 7-8pm on 101.9
FM. CFRC is the Queen's University communi-
ty radio station and every last Wednesday of
the month. CFRC can be heard from Millhaven
Institution, Collins Bay Institution, Joyceville In-
stitution, Bath Institution, Frontenac Institution,
Pittsburgh Institution, and Quinte Detention
Centre.
MONTREAL AREA – CKUT Prison Radio airs
on 90.3 FM on the second Thursday of every
month between 5-6 pm as part of the Off the
Hour show and on the fourth Friday of every
month between 11am and 12pm. It can be
heard from Bordeaux, Rivière-des-Prairies,
Centre de formation fédéral, Leclerc, Montée
St-Francois, Centre de détention pour les immi-
grants, Archambault, Sainte-Anne-des-Plaines,
and Cowansville institutions.
VANCOUVER AREA – Stark Raven Collective
runs the CFRO Prison Radio show on 100.5 FM
as part of Vancouver Co-operative Radio. It
broadcasts on the first Monday of each month
from 7-8 pm Pacific Time
HALIFAX AREA - Dalhousie University's CKDU
at 88.1 FM. Listen or call in for poetry and rap
on the Black Power Hour, which airs Wednes-
days from 1:30-2:30pm , and is co-hosted by
former Halifax poet laureate El Jones. The show
focuses on social and cultural issues relevant to
Black communities, but is open all listeners.
Writings on the Wall
You will notice a new section in Cell Count
called "Writings on the wall". We feel that this
more accurately reflects the type of writing
submissions we receive from inside, since they
tend to be more based on personal, politi-
cal, theoretical, philosophical, spiritual, etc
thoughts, experiences, ideas and opinions rath-
er than news. The "News on the block" section
will be a roundup of news articles from various
media sources that are related to prisons. You
are also free to contribute to News on the Block
if you would like to write a news article or sug-
gest something that should be featured there.
Let us know what you think of this change!
3 // from inside
Zakaria Amara
I remember a time
When I was in the SHU, I would
wake up some mornings and using
my imagination, I would act out the
scenes in this poem
I remember a time not long ago
When I once sailed all alone
When despair was an endless
ocean
And the land of hope was but a
dream
When I would awake at the break
of dawn
And the highest mast I would
slowly climb
To look for as far as my eyes could
see
Hoping for an end to my misery
My sight would return with nothing
at all
My heart would ache and my head
would fall
But in my sadness I would hear a
voice
Telling me that despair was but a
choice
You’re not alone for God is your
friend
And every hardship must one day
end
The Boy Inside
As children, some of us helplessly
watched, as our fathers or stepfa-
thers savagely beat
our mothers.
As children, some of us were
abused in horrendous ways.
As children, some of us could do
nothing to save a loved one from
dying or being murdered.
As grown ups, we’ve been carrying
the guilt for all of this ever since.
I wrote this poem to let you know
that it was never your fault. The
time has come for you to lay down
your burdens and begin to heal.
He whipped his soul
His entire life
For what was not his fault
And now the scars of all the
wounds were there-for all to see
I saw the boy I saw the whip
I saw through all the pain
I told the man He was the boy
And he was not to blame
The man’s tears fell He dropped
the whip And hugged the little boy
His burden fell
His wounds were healed And now
he tasted joy
Nolan R. Turcotte
Original Savages, Part 2
Abuse booze, hate life
Mutilate, with steak knives
Prescription pills, to ease the pain
Our memories, keep us chained
Reality is a nightmare, dreamcatch-
ers no longer catch bad dreams Our
Sacred pipe, was replaced, with the
crack pipe, we became fiends! Suicide
became a way out, it relieved us of
our suffering
Bishops hid behind religion, and
denied they were touching That’s
fucking, disgusting, reconciliation
means nothing
The Government, of Canada, is
fronting...
You can’t apologize, for genocide
To the ones who are now dead inside
Your sincerity is a joke,--We’re hun-
gry homeless injail and broke
You blame us, but you’re guilty, for
every crime you created a law for
Because of you I couldn’t learn Cree,
it died with my great grandpa Now I
got to learn things, late in life
When I should’ve got taught shit,
back then
I can’t relate to the Survivors, but I
can empathize with what happened
Torture, pain, oppression, abuse
Betrayal, hopelessness, The con-
sideration of a noose! Excuse after
excuse...
The justifications of injustice
need to stop
When the Mounties initiated the
60’s scoop, it wasn’t considered
kidnapping because they were
cops Just imagine how they would
feel--
If we abducted their children and
beat them and raped them and
forced our spirituality on them
They’re incapable of putting them-
selves in our shoes
Cuz they got entitlement issues
Their infected views left us too
bruised to blossom...
The stereotypes surround-
ing Indigenous people are just
reflections of the Settler’s true
self... They brought over the bad
medicine with the intention to ruin
our health--
and to exclude us from the true
meaning of wealth... Our connec-
tion to Gitchi Manitou
Original Savages, Part 3
Yo, Shut the fuck up!!
I got the eagle feather in my
hand, it’s my turn to speak I’m from
Saskatchewan where racism is at its
peak
I pace in my prison cell day dream-
ing about justice I think about Colten
and judicial corruptness
What happened wasn’t right cuz
we got no rights Gerald Stanley got
acquitted by all 12 whites
How the fuck can that be with a
shot to the head? Cops laugh when
they find another Indian dead...
When the Settlers invaded Turtle
Island they rapidly took over the
land and excessively hunted down
the four legged...
Now it seems like we have be-
come the buffalo--
They’re aiming at us like we’re
game, fingers itching to shoot
Colten’s blood on the dashboard is
physical proof
We’re sitting ducks in a pond just
waiting to get shot In a spot where
the blood can’t clot, BANG!
They said Colten was a thug but I
doubt that shit
I killed a white man, apparently
a Good Samaritan They make the
white look right and the red look
wrong
On our own land they make us feel
like we don’t belong...
The twisted existence of equality in
the Constitution Act Is a delusional
fact
The forced covenant between
cultures has been cracked! The
odds have been stacked against us
These Settler’s pretentious ways
are relentless I
Even though the “hang fire” defence
was proven flawed He beat the
charge cuz he doesn’t sweat inside of
a lodge He doesn’t apply the grease
of a bear to heal
He doesn’t wave a braid of sweet-
grass over every meal
How the fuck could he not even get
Manslaughter for killing? Now we got
to continue to fear for us and our
children
Cuz the judicial system shows that
the whites can murder Indigenous
Without the consequences of living as
federal prisoners
Tylor Beggs
I cry…You cry…We all cry
Dedicated to every person affect-
ed from the bus that crashed…I’m
sorry to you all…
I scream to the skies “Bronco Pride
– Bronco Pride”,
The heavens have now opened, for
new angels to arrive.
Tears flow like a river from my
eyes.
Yeah, my prisoner eyes!
All rise; let all our prayers reach the
heavenly skies
Why God why, Oh why
I cry; I cry I cry I cry I cry
for the innocent 15 lives that died,
on that horrific tragic long bus ride
lost dads, lost kids, lost moms and
wives
I cry; I cry, you cry, we all cry
This poem is for them, for you and
for I
Rest in beautiful peace to all those
who died
and thanks to the Lord for those
who survived
as support pours out to the ones
still alive
An ocean of tears fill a pool from
all who cried
Melancholy seems to be, Canada’s
new vibe
so everybody; let us all cry, 2gether
as we strive to make it through, the
thunderous rainy wether
as I will cry as you will all cry, until
things get better
as my heart cries to you now,
through this sad sad letter.
Me-tamorphasis
These days go by
but still so many days to go,
and truthfully so,
I feel like tying a noose around my
throat.
I’ve lost my heart, that spark.
along with all of my hope,
So I strive to figure out
exactly how to cope.
The seconds turn to minutes
the minutes turn into hours,
For these days I am imprisoned
I’ve lost all my power.
So alone and so depressed
only here to just cower
One day I shall be free
to open up like a beautiful flower.
To unveil and to show
all this wisdom that I know,
and in all your hearts
I will surely grow.
To people young, to people old,
secrets kept and secrets shown,
I give you my everything, my all
my beautiful and loving soul.
But my heart must stay froze
For all to see and for all to know,
I walk fast but listen slow,
and until my old heart beats so
very low.
for now I must sadly go!
~FREE AS A BUTTERFLY~
Faith
Free will
Kill or be Killed
Are we, over the hill
are we, over our heads
is our, life a mess
because people don’t believe in
jesus
they believe in diseases
lives shattered to pieces
for absolutely no reasons
so the world turns into heathens
without knowin’ the true meanin’s
My faith in God I keep believin’
Because I just know the feelin’s
and I’m scared of all the Demons
and until God pops the bubble I’m
dreamin
I’m a keep on believin’ in my feel-
ings
Thank you God for the help in
seeing the true meanings.
David Cioffi
Addiction
Every moment without you is more
painful,
I remember the first time in that
motel,
I still can’t believe how fast I grew
to love you,
You just never loved me back.
Now I need you,
Otherwise it is me you attack
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
You are my addiction so harmful
and so true.
Countless nights I ask for us to be
thru
Even after all these years,
You still haunt me,
I scream to you for help,
I scream to you to stop this,
Why am I so confused?
Why are you so hard to drop?
What did I do so wrong?
Alas, it really was my fault.
Now I close my eyes.
begging for sleep to come.
Yet still I pray.
that I shall never wake!
Family
Everyday We as a people suffer,
either as ourselves or as another,
remember this as you look at a
brother
for it matters not if we have differ-
ent mothers
the tears shed because of our
death and our foolishness
causes more than just triggers for
our brains and veins
the way others looked at me with
disdain
makes me question How do we
truly love one another
therefore the differences between
those on road and those in Prison
is simple my friend those inside
have a clearer Vision
The Truth
The way the world works,
everyday I wake up still feeling
cursed,
both my heart and soul are bro-
ken,
and I wonder why I hurt.
Every moment passes with Tor-
ment
Now I am seated in a place where I
can’t piss without consent,
Sunny skies now filled with dark-
ness,
All of this makes a sad man heart-
less.
All those that loved me ask why?
I can only look up with tears and I
cry, because of the darkness that is
the cycle of addiction is what made
me a man that can’t love,
These are more than words, it is
the truth!
Tim Rogers
Memories
I looked up into the sky today
As I knelt and clasped my hands
to pray A vision of your face did
appear
A sight that I will hold to my heart
most dear
My mind is racing to and fro
My thoughts to you I wish they’d go
The turmoil that is going on
I ask your help to make them gone
Human minds are meant to be
content Yet mine seems totally
over spent
Too many memories going on
I ask your help to make them gone
The atrocities, the sights, the
numbing pain, Would drive a nor-
mal man insane
So please dear Father hear my plea
Take all these memories away from
me.
S. Halliday aka G
I Shall Not be Broken
Speak words towards me of hatred
and disdain, Curse my existence
and resent my name,
Find all of my flaws and commence
to complain,
Kill my shine and show me the
shadows of my shame.
Give me the weight of the world to
hold me down,
Make every expression that I face
a frown,
Give me the lost that longs to be
found.
Nurture our needs with gifts all
around.
You can kick me, punch me, push
me, kill me then watch me live on
in those that love me,
Demean me and place all else
above me,
Force me to face all that disgusts
me
Give me the worst of the worst and
leave nothing else for me,
When I plead and scream, “fulfill
my needs”!!! Ignore me,
Take my wealth, then strip me
down to my very last token
Brand me with every harsh word
to be spoken, Drown me in my
despair and laugh as I am gasping
and choking.
Then leave me with God just pray-
ing and hoping and through Him I
shall not be broken.
Cam Martin
It's out there
Natural World Peoples
We all live together on our Mother
Earth
Hear her cry the pangz of our birth
Even though we are down its not
4 long
Give thanks 4 life, listen 2 her song
Clean out your heart n earz
Wipe away all the tears
And fight on
We might feel all alone but the
Creatorz within
The glue is love between every cell
Life was meant 2 be celebrated not
caged in livin hell
All I know is freedom will be mine
Nothin comes without a high cost
Our wings our children our souls
all lost
It is all recoverable consider it a
bump
We are very important in the Big
Plan
Caged men disrespect the darkest
heart of man
Try 2 find peace and carry it with
you
Give thanx 4 life the path 2 wisdom
When we’re feeling blue
Hate can never conquer you
Luv is the most powerful living
thing in the Universe
Death can’t break it
Luv will get us thru this
ets O
nTwe
Priso
An idea developed by Jeff Craig
Cell Count contributor Jeff Craig
came up with "Prison Tweets." A
"tweet" is a super short quote,
shoutout, piece of wisdom, thought,
update, or anything you can come
up with! Mail us or call with a tweet,
and you might see it in an upcoming
issue. Let's see what you got!
Forgotten Warrior Tweets
NDN History lessons
#1: History beginz 4 us w murder
and enslavement
- not w discovery -
#2: the conquest has not yet end-
ed, and neither has resistance 2
that conquest
#3: the great spirit... Creator, gave
us this land, but the white people
seem 2 want 2 drive us from it...
#4: in brief, the white man forced
the Mohawk 2 become their bitter
enemiez
4 // NEWS ON THE BLOCK
Nearly half of Canada’s incar-
cerated youth are Indigenous,
according to Statistics Canada
By Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Cana-
dian Press
Data released by Statistics Can-
ada shows Aboriginal youth made
up 46 per cent of admissions to
correctional services in 2016-17 while
making up only eight per cent of the
youth population.
“It’s not actually surprising to me to
hear those numbers,” said Michael
Redhead Champagne.
“As a member of the Indigenous
community, with First Nation, Métis
and Inuit people around me, I see
the overrepresentation of Indigenous
people going into the justice system,”
he said.
Champagne founded Aboriginal
Youth Opportunities in Winnipeg’s
North End neighbourhood in 2010 to
support Indigenous youth. Working
with kids in the inner city area, he
has seen how “Indigenous people
often get the short end of the stick.”
“I see Indigenous and non-Indige-
nous people literally doing the exact
same crime and not experiencing the
same amount of jail time, probation,
et cetera,” he said.
Incarceration of youth generally
across Canada has declined slightly
each year since 2012. But the Statis-
tics Canada data from 10 reporting
provinces and territories also showed
the proportion of Indigenous youth
in custody has steadily increased.
In 2006-07, the proportion was 21
per cent. But 10 years later, Indige-
nous boys made up 47 per cent of
correctional admissions and Indige-
nous girls accounted for 60 per cent.
In the provinces, the numbers of
Indigenous youth in custody were
highest in Saskatchewan (92 per cent
for boys; 98 per cent for girls) and
Manitoba (81 per cent for boys; 82
per cent for girls).
Howard Sapers, an independent
adviser to the government of Ontario
on corrections reform, said the in-
creasing numbers, carries through to
adulthood — particularly for girls.
According to Statistics Canada, In-
digenous men accounted for 28 per
cent of admissions in 2016-17, while
Indigenous women accounted for
43 per cent. At the same time, they
represented about five per cent of
the Canadian adult population.  ture” of Jackson’s slide into criminal-
“We are getting so dangerously
close to half of all adult women in
custody being Indigenous,” he said in
a phone interview from his Ottawa
office.
“There is little way to escape the
conclusion that there are some
systemic biases built into the system
that are contributing to this overrep-
resentation.”
Policy decisions, such as mandatory
minimum sentences, have had a dis-
proportionate impact on Indigenous
communities, he said.
But there is also movement in the
other direction, said Sapers, pointing
to bail reform, restorative justice
efforts and culturally appropriate
initiatives.
He said the justice system cannot
stand alone in curbing the trend
of incarcerating Indigenous youth.
Tackling poverty, unemployment or
underemployment, poor housing,
addictions and mental illness would
make a large difference, he said.
Change is needed immediately,
Champagne agreed, because there is
currently a cycle of institutionalizing
Indigenous children.
It starts with children being taken
into care where they are assigned
a worker, curfews and strict rules,
he said. When they become older,
they graduate to the criminal justice
system.
“When I see this kind of stuff I
get frustrated with all the rhetoric
around reconciliation,” Champagne
said.
Racism should factor in sen-
tencing of Black offenders,
judge rules
By Betsy Powell, Toronto Star
Systemic racism and discrimination
should be taken into account when
African Canadians are sentenced,
a Toronto judge said Monday, in
order to address the issue of their
over-representation in the criminal
justice system.
But Superior Court Justice Shaun
Nakatsuru declined to apply the
approach used in sentencing Indig-
enous people to the sentencing of
African Canadians such as Jamaal
Jackson, who is Black.
“I find little value in comparing the
situation of Indigenous persons to
African Canadians. There are simi-
larities but there are also significant
differences,” Nakatsuru wrote.
As well, the sentencing of Indigenous
people is unique and their special
recognition is enshrined in the Crimi-
nal Code, he noted.
Jackson, 33, pleaded guilty last year
to possession of a loaded gun and
breaching a court order prohibiting
him from having such weapons. He
has a long and serious criminal re-
cord and has spent most of his adult
life behind bars.
At his sentencing hearing last
month, defence lawyers Emily Lam
and Faisal Mirza asked Nakatsuru to
adopt a new way of sentencing Black
offenders, similar to the way courts
consider the history of Indigenous
people.
In Canada, judges can request
“Gladue” reports for Indigenous of-
fenders, which encourage sentencing
to be sensitive to the disadvantages
and systemic racism they face and to
consider alternatives to jail.
Jackson’s lawyers provided the judge
with studies on anti-Black racism,
and an Impact of Race and Cultural
Assessment (IRCA) report written by
Halifax social worker and sociologist
Robert Wright. The IRCA included in-
terviews with Jackson and his family
about his childhood in Cole Harbour,
N.S., and his experiences with racism
and economic disadvantage. It also
included historical context about the
racism experienced by Black people
living in Nova Scotia.
In his 35-page decision, Nakatsuru
said the report painted a “fuller pic-
ity, and agreed “the time has come”
where he as a sentencing judge
“must take judicial notice of slavery,
policies and practices of segregation,
intergenerational trauma and racism,
both overt and systemic, as they
relate to African Canadians.”
But while Nakatsuru said that
alternatives to incarceration — such
as community healing — would be
appropriate in some situations, this
case required a prison sentence.
He turned down the Crown’s
request for a sentence of 7.5 to nine
years, and the defence argument for
four years. Instead, he imposed a
six-year sentence, adding it was not a
“race-based discount.” After credit for
pre-trial custody, Jackson will serve
another two years and 257 days in
prison.
“We think it’s a watershed moment
in the sentencing of African-Canadian
offenders,” Mirza said outside the
court.
“There’s a number of segments
of the ruling that have moved the
needle forward, in particular the
acknowledgement of the systemic
legacy of discrimination against Afri-
can Canadians.”
Private firm making millions
off of Sask. jail calls
By D.C. Fraser, Regina Leader-Post
A Texas-based company has made
nearly $9 million off of phone calls
from Saskatchewan jails, while the
province has received less than $1
million off of those calls.
In 2010, the government of Sas-
katchewan entered into a contract
with a company called Synergy for a
service known as Telmate.
Prisoners often pay to make phone
calls and when they do, 90 per
cent of the money charged goes to
Telmate.
Telecom has made more than $1
million each year the contract has
been in place, with yearly commis-
sions averaging around $1.3 million.
The province takes 10 per cent of the
money from those calls and deposits
it to a trust account for inmates.
That fund has made less than $1
million since the arrangement with
Telcom started, earning an average
of $140,511.36 in any given year.
Last year saw $121,316.23 divid-
ed among the five adult custody
facilities, where it was managed
under provincial regulations — with,
according to officials, input from local
inmate committees.
The regulations allow the money to
be used for programming and activi-
ties; but generally, Justice officials say
it goes towards equipment, supplies
for leisure time activities, as well as
subscriptions to newspapers and TV.
After six inmates escaped from
the Regina Provincial Correctional
Centre (RPCC) in 2008, the province
commissioned a study that said tele-
phone-monitoring equipment should
be installed.
Starting Monday, the cost of local
calls in Saskatchewan jails is going
up. Rather than costing $1.35 for
20 minutes, it will cost $2.50 for 20
minutes.
In an effort to rebalance commis-
sions from jail calls, the province will
also now be allowing every inmate a
free daily call.
Long-distance call costs are decreas-
ing from $7.50 for 20 minutes to
$2.50 for 20 minutes.
Audit of immigration de-
tention review system reveals
culture that favours incarcer-
ation
By Nicholas Keung, Toronto Star  reviewed, and that hearing protocols
The first-ever audit into the way
Canada reviews immigration de-
tention cases reveals a system that
unfairly keeps people behind bars for
months on end due to ill-informed
adjudicators and a culture that
favours incarceration.
The damning findings, including
decision-making based on inaccurate
information, unchallenged faith in
border enforcement officials and
inadequate legal representation for
detainees, have shocked even the
most seasoned critics and rights
advocates.
“Non-citizens have a right to liberty
and to be protected from cruel and
unusual treatment, but as this report
shows, this right is routinely flouted
under immigration legislation,” said
Janet Dench of the Canadian Council
for Refugees.
Last year, 3,557 people were held
in immigration detention in Canada.
Eighty-eight per cent of detainees
were released within 90 days. But in
80 cases, people were held for more
than a year behind bars.
A Star investigation last year found
an immigration detention system
that indefinitely warehouses non-
citizens, away from public scrutiny
and in conditions intended for a
criminal population, with hundreds
of unwanted immigrants left to
languish behind bars. Ebrahim Toure,
46, a failed refugee claimant who has
been detained for five years pending
deportation to Gambia, is currently
the longest serving immigration
detainee.
The audit into the fairness of
long-term detention reviews at the
Immigration and Refugee Board
found that last year, 13 per cent of
all detainees were held because they
were deemed a danger to the public,
while 77 per cent were detained
because officials feared they were
a flight risk. The rest were detained
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
because of an inability to confirm
their identity.
“In many of the decisions re-
viewed, the assumption seemed to
be that any risk was enough risk.
As long as there was a chance that
the person might not appear, that
justified detention. As long as there
was a chance that the person would
commit another theft, that justified
continued detention,” concluded the
audit, conducted by Katherine Laird,
an adjudicator and mediator with the
Social Justice Tribunals of Ontario, a
group of eight tribunals that includes
the Human Rights Tribunal of On-
tario, Social Benefits Tribunal and
the Criminal Injuries Compensation
Board.
“At times, it seemed like the (immi-
gration tribunal) had its own ‘danger-
ous offender designation,’ (allowing
them to be held indefinitely) without
any of the safeguards of that process
in the criminal justice system,” said
the report.
The independent audit, commis-
sioned by the refugee board and
released Friday, reviewed 312 de-
tention hearings for 18 immigration
detainees whose files were closed
between April 2016 and August 2017.
The detainees involved had all been
held for at least 100 days.
Normally, each immigration detain-
ee is eligible for a detention hearing
48 hours after their arrest, followed
by a seven-day and 30-day review if
an immigration division adjudicator
rules the detention should continue.
Among the issues identified by the
audit:
Inconsistencies being referred to
and recycled at each review and
eventually becoming part of the
accepted history for the detained
person.
The audit recommended increased
oversight of immigration detention
cases, that border enforcement
officials be questioned “vigorously” in
cases of delays, that all current long-
term detention files be immediately
and policies on bonds and terms of
release be updated.
Liberals table massive piece of
legislation to overhaul the
Canadian justice system
By Amanda Connolly, Global News
The federal Liberals have tabled a
massive piece of legislation that will
aim to overhaul the Canadian justice
system.
At more than 300 pages, the new
legislation proposes a number of
major changes that Justice Minister
Jody Wilson-Raybould says fit with
the goal of making the system more
fair and more just, both for victims of
crimes and those from communities
that are over-represented in jails and
prisons.
“Every single person in Canada has
the right to a fair and timely trial,”
Wilson-Raybould said during a press
conference announcing the changes.
“Every victim has the right to be
heard and see justice done.”
Changes in the bill focus on several
areas of reforms: reducing potential
discrimination during jury selection,
reducing when preliminary inquires
can be used, requiring judges to use
particular attention in cases involving
vulnerable populations, and cracking
down on domestic violence.
Among those, it will place a reverse
onus for bail on individuals charged
with violence against an intimate
partner who have previously been
convicted of such.
What that means is that individuals
with a previous conviction of violence
against their spouse, common law
partner or dating partner will be re-
quired to prove “why their detention
in custody is not justified.”
Currently, the onus is on Crown
prosecutors to convince the court a
request by an accused for bail is not
justified.
As well, intimate partner violence
will be listed as an aggravating factor
in sentencing considerations, which
can lead to judges imposing tougher
sentences in domestic violence cases,
and which will increase the maximum
sentencing available for someone
who is a repeat domestic abuser.
It will also require judges to take
special consideration when eval-
uating bail requests and release
provisions for Indigenous accused
and accused individuals from other
vulnerable populations.
It will abolish the practice of using
peremptory challenges without cause
to arbitrarily reject potential jurors
during jury selection.
Peremptory challenges were raised
as a significant concern following the
acquittal last month of Saskatchewan
farmer Gerald Stanley in the shooting
death of Colten Boushie, a young
Cree man, by an all-white jury.
Memorial garden at former
women’s prison takes root
By Kristy Nease, CBC News 
Fran Chaisson, who helped found
the P4W Memorial Collective after
two stints at the prison, believes it’s
important to remember the women
who died there. (Lisa Kannakko)
Former inmates of the shuttered
Prison For Women in Kingston, Ont.,
are pushing for a memorial garden
at the site, where a developer is
planning to construct a new mixed-
use building.
The former inmates say the garden
is important to honour the checkered
history of the prison and the women
who took their own lives there while
it operated from the mid-1930s to
2000. Seven women died over a two-
year period from December 1988
to February 1991, and six of them
were Indigenous.
A task force was appointed in 1989
to look into the prison’s operations
— it was then the only federal cor-
rectional facility for women — and
in 1990 a report was released calling
for sweeping changes and more
facilities. In 1996, one year after a
strip search video from P4W, as the
prison became known, was made
public, an inquiry by Madam Justice
Louise Arbour again called for sub-
stantive change.
Four years later, the last of P4W’s
prisoners were transferred to new fa-
cilities.
Ann Hansen, 64, was incarcerat-
ed at the prison for participating
in bombings in the 1980s while a
member of The Squamish Five, also
known as Direct Action, a group of
activists who believed non-violent
resistance was ineffective.
Hansen was sentenced to life and
served seven years at Kingston’s
P4W. She was released in the early
1990s and has kept in touch with
other former inmates, including Fran
Chaisson.
Together they helped found the
P4W Memorial Collective in 2015,
and alongside others petitioned the
prison site’s former owner, Queen’s
University, to build a small memorial
garden in front of the prison. An
open letter and petition by the collec-
tive calls for a memorial garden on
a plot of land in front of the former
administration building.
A proposal is still being worked out,
but could include a couple of bench-
es, a small monument created by an
Indigenous person, and the names of
the women who died at the prison,
Hansen said.
Hansen said they’re not opposed
to the commercialization of the
valuable parcel of land in downtown
Kingston, saying it would be a “monu-
mental struggle to prevent that from
happening.” But they’re hoping the
prison’s heritage will be maintained
and its history “will not be completely
erased.”
​ The collective is planning a healing
circle at the prison site on Aug. 10.
Your opinion matters
We want to read your thoughts on/
responses to these news articles!
Write to us and let us know!
5 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Broken Pots & the Selfishness of Kindness-a PJD Message
By Nick Paccione
As I was wondering what to write
about for this issue of Cell Count,
my mind inexplicably drifted back
to a Christmas card I had sent
to my brother, the front cover of
which included an image of broken
pots. Thinking of those broken
pots, it dawned on me that like
those pots, we’re all “broken” in
our own way. Unlike pots, how-
ever, broken people tend to hurt,
and hurt people tend to hurt other
people, and those others tend to
hurt still others-and on and on it
goes until everybody is hurting
everybody else.
With Prisoners Justice Day (PJD)
at hand, and with PJD being a day
that in a sense commemorates the
hurt and suffering of prisoners, I
figured it was as good a time as
any to take a closer look at the
fact of hurt and suffering, and at
how the selfishness of kindness
can help. Yes, you read right-the
selfishness of kindness.
You see, if we examine the fact
of hurt and suffering through the
broken pots metaphor and look
at how as broken beings we go
on endlessly perpetuating and
spreading hurt and suffering, it
only makes “selfish” sense for us
to not want to add to all this hurt
and suffering in even the slightest
degree, seeing how the orbiting
ripple effects that would automat-
ically result from any suffering
that we ourselves created would
eventually return in some form
or another to bite us in the ass,
thereby increasing our own hurt
and suffering.
On a very practical level, then,
and, yes, on a very selfish level too,
it seems as if the smartest thing we
can all do for ourselves is to be as
kind as we can towards others and
to do whatever we can to alleviate
suffering, since the less that other
people hurt and suffer, the less
likely will it be that they will in turn
hurt and make suffer us.
By Nolan R. Turcotte
I began my life sentence at the
age of 16 in the Paul Dojack Youth
Centre, which is located in Regi-
na, Saskatchewan. I have been
incarcerated for the past 12 years
and done time in Saskatchewan
Penitentiary, Edmonton Institution,
the Special Handling Unit, Kent In-
stitution and Millhaven Institution.
I remember the very first time I
participated in Prisoner’s Justice
Day. I was 18 years old in Saskatch-
We can begin immediately with
those closest to us-i.e., with our
families and other intimates as well
as with those literally “closest” to
us, meaning fellow cons and staff.
Now, hear me out. I’ve got close
to 30 years inside, including the
last 20 straight, most of which have
been spent in a “max” setting, so I
definitely know how tough the day-
to-day grind can be and how easy
and often justifiable it may seem to
hate on others, especially staff.
But it is precisely because I have
lived the experience for so long
that I know only too well how easy
it is to succumb to attitudes and
behaviours that are cold, mean,
violent, and downright inhumane
for those who are caged in, and
even for those who merely work
in, places that are themselves
cold, mean, violent, and downright
inhumane. I mean, be honest, how
many times have you yourselves
seen ·a new staff individual begin
with a friendly smile and the best
of intentions only to quickly wind
up as just another tired and em-
bittered member of the opposite
camp. Prisons do that, they have a
way of eroding our humanity and
bringing out the worst in all of us.
Hence the desperate need for
kindness, the ripple effects of even
just a bit of which could spread far
and wide and vibrate into all of our
hearts.
Let me be clear, however, that
when I speak of being kind towards
others, I am in no way advocating
for a meek or passive attitude or
an acceptance of the status quo,
with all of its ills and injustices.
Hell, no! I myself am an outspoken
and committed advocate for the
kind of serious and boat-rocking
societal transformation needed
if we’re ever to turn prisons into
anachronistic relics and ultimately
leave them where they belong-in
the dustbowls of history. By all
means, then, speak your mind,
fight for justice and positive
Struggle and sacrifice
Photo by Nicoledit on Unsplash August 10. As the years went by, I
ewan Penitentiary on August 10,
2009. I was housed in Unit 6 Max,
which was known as Gangland,
and I was on B Block with my
crew, who I no longer affiliate with
by choice, and our “allies”. They
showed me how I was supposed to
conduct myself on PJD, which was,
as you already know, no eating or
working.
The days leading up to August
10 had me thinking about how
change, assert and defend your
rights, expose abuses of power,
work to right wrongs, and so on,
but do all these things while re-
specting the dignity of others and
without in any way undermining
their humanity-in other words,
while treating others as you your-
self would want to be treated.
Of course, being kind isn’t always
easy, especially towards those
you’d rather strangle or those
you’ve learned you are “supposed”
to hate. Hell, I still struggle with
this myself-big time.
But being kind towards others
does get easier and begin to feel
more natural with practice, and it
does make you feel better about
yourself. And the better you feel
about yourself, the kinder you’re
apt to be. Kindness, then, comes
with its own positive feedback
loop.
Being kind and respectful to-
wards others also doesn’t guaran-
tee kindness and respect in return,
but it does significantly increase
the chances of getting these in re-
turn, so what have you got to lose?
Plus, I myself am amazingly dis-
covering in my own day-to-day like
how even just a bit of things like
kindness, patience, and respect are
incomparably more effective than
anger and hostility in improving
interpersonal relations, in resolv-
ing conflict, in dealing with delicate
and difficult situations, and in just
getting shit done.
So, on this Prisoners Justice Day
and moving forward, be smart and
be “selfish” by being kind. And,
please, be careful with any pots, in-
cluding your own; they may seem
solid, but they do break. Peace and
love.
P.S. If you haven’t already, you may
want to check out Jesse Belanger’s arti-
cle “The Keys to Freedom” in the Winter
2018 issue of Cell Count. If you don’t
have this issue, you can contact PASAN
to request a copy of the article. It may
very well change your life, and possibly
even set you free.
difficult it might be to go a whole
24 hours without eating, but then
when the day came l shook off the
hunger pains with pride. I have
always been the kind of person
to ride for a righteous cause, plus
I counteracted the hunger pains
with logic. I reminded myself that
I have gone without food many
times in my life. Growing up in the
streets and always ending up on
the run constantly left my stomach
growling. There were times I had
to break into the food bank after
it closed up just so I could get my
hands on some food. I was able
to survive when I had no food or
shelter, so I can obviously make it
through a single day with zero food
intake.
I got through my first PJD, but
thinking back on it now I didn’t
even know why we convicts
stood together in solidarity on
searched for the knowledge that
has attached itself to the history of
PJD. Now, I am sitting in the same
prison where it all began.
I ended up developing my own
style of representing on PJD after
I completed my third Day of pris-
oner’s justice. Like I said before,
I have been all over the country
and I’ve seen my fellow convicts
do their PJD in all sorts of ways.
Some of you take the trays, but
hold them until midnight to break
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
Standing for the Fallen
By Mark Zammit
Finally! A reason to speak my
mind about Prisoners Justice Day
(PJD), something I hold very close
to my heart.
August 10th, for a 24 hour peri-
od, when every Con across Canada
is to show respect and give thanks
to the ones who got us what we
have (rights and privileges) today.
Unfortunately, I noticed that the
new school ways of our prisons
have slowly but surely desecrated
what PJD stands for. I have heard
inmates speak such nonsense as
“they aren’t my brothers” and “I
didn’t ask for their help”. As an
old-school con I find that a sad and
sick State of Affairs. Brothers and
sisters? Those remarks belittle and
removes the solidarity that the
word “convict” stands for.
Once a month, for 20 minutes,
supervised by your P.O. in their
office... that is how phone calls
used to be. Oh my God, how did
the phonebugs survive? LOL...
Pen packs, TVs and cable, PFVs?
All that shit was fought for and
gotten for us by past cons. Strikes,
work stoppage, sit-downs, lawyers,
unfortunately, riots!
Some cons paid with their lives,
or turned a deuce into a life bit,
and now we reap the rewards. Au-
gust 10th is a day of remembrance
and respect. We fast (don’t eat),
your fast. Others refuse to let the
food carts enter the range. I’ve
seen convicts drink liquids, such
as water, milk and coffee and/or
eat canteen items while justifying
it with how it isn’t prepared by
CSC. I’ve even met a couple people
who pop sleepers and spend their
entire day drooling on their pillow.
I am not going to tell others how to
spend their day, but I will express
my opinion on how I believe it
should be spent.
In 2012, while I was incarcerated
in Kent Institution, I came to a con-
clusion on how I am going to hold
it down for the justice of prisoners.
When the day comes, I wake up at
breakfast so I can politely tell the
guards to fuck off. I spend the day
in my cell, proudly refusing to con-
form to modern day slavery, while I
eat nothing and drink nothing. Lat-
er in the evening when recreation
is offered I go down and socialize
with my closest friends in the
institution. When it is time to go
back up to the ranges I head on up
and kick it on the range until lock
up, while shaking my head at the
ones who are complaining about
“starving”. After lock up I patiently
wait for the moment I can break
my fast and when I do I always
break my fast a couple minutes
after midnight, with canteen, just
in case the time is slightly off.
I consider PJD a time to sacrifice
don’t work, pray and
give thanks to the
men and women who
suffered or lost their
lives for our comfort.
Out of respect, love,
and thanks we stand
and unite as one and
give thanks to the
ones before us.
As I finally come
months away from
finishing a 14-year
stretch, I find PJD
more important to me than real,
worldwide holidays such as Christ-
mas. I have more friends, more like
family, inside than I do on Road.
With almost 21 years of federal
incarceration under my belt, I
have lost maybe a dozen or so of
my said family inside, behind the
wall, and PJD allows me to stand
with my brothers and sisters and
remember the deceased.
As much as Prisoners Justice Day
means to me, it is also a day that
angers me, simply because of the
lack of respect, class and solidarity
from the new school.
If, for one day, we cannot show
a touch of class and thanks for
the cons that gave us all we have
behind the wall, then maybe the
ungrateful should not be privy to
our privileges.
Regardless, if I am in my cage or
on Road, I practice PJD Behavior.
I will always stand for the fallen
and anyone that knows me on the
outside, knows that I value and I
fast, etc, on August 10th, no matter
where I am.
To the men and women who
have passed behind the wall, to the
men and women who gave their
blood, fighting for prisoners rights,
thank you - you are loved, you are
missed, remembered and without
a doubt, respected.
for those who have suffered be-
hind these walls and razor wire.
Therefore, I sacrifice all food and
beverages and refuse to work to
show my solidarity to all of you and
those who are no longer with us.
On PJD I remember my good friend
Edward Dundas who passed away
in 2013 at Kent Institution due to
malpractice by the institutional
physician. He was a shy, polite,
harmless young man who smiled
and shook my hand every time we
saw each other. I am proud to say
that I had the honour of participat-
ing in sweat lodge ceremonies and
pipe ceremonies with him under
the teachings of Mervin and Mary.
I also find it ironic how the man I
accidentally killed in 2006 was born
on August 10, 1978. Whenever
PJD presents itself I never forget
to remember him, and I always
dedicate part of my fasting to him,
although he wasn’t a prisoner.
Today, I am more spiritual than I
have ever been so on the morning
of PJD I will light my sweetgrass,
make a prayer for all of us, our
loved ones and lost ones and beat
my drum while reciting the Flag
Song. The song is meant to be
sung for our ancestors and the
warriors. You are all considered
warriors in my eyes, as long as you
stand up for what is right and ride
for what is righteous.
Mitakuye oyasin, Nolan R. Turcotte
6 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Being real and remembered
By Mark Zammit
Just finished watching The Tragically Hip’s
final show. Absolute final show cause Gord
Downie was awaiting death. The Last Song
of the show was Killer, even if you don’t like
The Hip, that last song would bring a tear.
he walked corner to corner, side to side of
that stage, just screaming into the mic, tears
in his eyes, blowing kisses to his fans. Later
on, after his passing, we find out that those
screams, were because he forgot the words
but he sure as hell didn’t forget where he
was, or his fans. Gord Downie? Went out a
class act, on his own terms, caring just as
much for his fans, as he did his own health...
That’s fucking class.
It’s 5:32pm. On June 30th 2018, and why I
felt like mentioning that Gord Downie mo-
ment, is because that is how I wish to go out.
When it’s my turn to leave this planet, I want
to go out with style, with class, and I want to
leave my Mark.
I am no rockstar, although I do consider my-
self as a somewhat accomplished poet. But I
am a voice for my community, two commu-
nities actually.
First, I am part of the LGBTQ2S community,
a gay man that was outed in Collins Bay Pen-
itentiary. If you don’t know what it’s like to
be the only out gay men in Gladiator school,
let me tell you, it sucks. But for one thing,
motherfuker, did it give me strength, and
now I am an openly gay men, and advocate/
activist with a partner I love more than life,
What does
Prisoners Justice
day mean to me?
By Philipe Poisson
To me, PJD is very important. I do not
eat on PJD, or work, do programming, do
schooling, watch TV, exercise, Play Games,
Etc
To do anything but relax, pray/meditate,
read, or write a letter, is the equivalent of
going to the bathroom on someone’s grave.
PJD started around 1973 to commemorate
and honor all those inmates who passed
away fighting for our rights. PJD was started
by inmates in millhaven institution.
Over the years, PJD has grown to Encom-
pass all of those inmates who have passed
away in prison. Whether their death be by
the hands of a guard, another inmate, or by
their own hand; if they passed away while
inside, then they are mourned under the
date of August 10th!
I am serving my second Federal sentence,
and, if I was to compare the number of
inmates that I’ve come across in my last Fed-
eral sentence against the number so far this
time; the number has more than doubled as
to how many inmates have not heard of PJD,
let alone how many know anything about it.
Now, I commemorate and honor PJD every
year on August 10th by following the general
idea of meditating, fasting, and praying for a
personal reason: my best friend Jack Froese,
Jr. Committed suicide in 2013 in provincial
custody in British Columbia. Jack suffered
from depression, among other things, and
was denied his medication.
There are still a lot of things we need to
work on in order to make prisons all across
Canada, a safer place. For us inmates and
guards alike. However, by honoring PJD on
August 10th, we once again bring awareness
to our ongoing struggles for our rights and
for justice for those who fight no more. We
fight for them.
On a side note: if you have a medical con-
dition such as diabetes that preclude you
from fasting, we who celebrate PJD under-
stand. However, we ask you to eat only what
is necessary (ie no candy, chips, pop, etc)!
Thank you!
and a community that has my back to the
end, and so many solid friends and a name
made of gold simply because I keep my
word, and do the right thing. So, to Dave, the
mail Thief that stole my mail, read my mail
and sent it all through Collins Bay. Thanks!
Because your side door thieving antics and
childhood rumor mill behavior, gave me a
voice, a name, and a reason to live.
I have never been happier or had as many
friends as I do now, in my life. I have already
made changes in the LGBTQ2S community
in CSC, with new precedents and such. And
all because a confused, cowardly man tried
to ruin my reputation and name.
The above-written thoughts, words or
rant if you will, are dedicated to all of which
suffer from a bully or bullies. “You Are Not
Alone, our community is massive, and we
have your back.” With the permission from
PASAN, contact them and ask how to reach
me, I’d love to help.
My second Community is my brothers and
sisters locked up. My prison Community, my
family for the most part.
I ain’t no shot caller, gangster or plug. But
I got you all when it comes to fighting the
man. This new school bullshit has got to
stop. It used to be us against them, we were
all one, we ran our joints and ranges. There
was respect, consideration and we had each
other’s back. And used to be a well-oiled
machine, life inside.
Now it’s against us and “they” sit and watch
and laugh as we rip each other off, jump one
Photo by Richard Felix on Unsplash
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
another for PK’s, etc... It’s sad, it’s sick, and
it’s got to stop before we lose our identity.
A man’s word used to mean something,
respect was rampant, not just a word, and
gay, straight, black, white or other, we had
each other’s back... Ahhh the old school,
when Prisoners Justice Day was honoured
and executed, no questions asked.
No matter what dear friends, no matter
the snide gay jokes and shit talk behind my
back. I got you, all day long, “I got you.” You
are my family, I give you my word. I’m in on a
good beef, I ain’t no snitch, my word is bond
and I am loyal, and until I die I will remain as
such, “old school”, with my family, “Bunny,
Mo Mo, Coops, Cadai, Princess,” and all else
who don’t have nicknames... LOL...
We are a Dying Breed, but we are loyal.
It’s 6:32pm. On June 30th 2018, I have been
writing for an hour.
I started this blurb, as just that, a blurb
about going out like Gord Downie, with class,
leaving my mark.
I will leave my mark, in my communities.
The people that love me will remember me,
the ones that hate me as well. I will go out
with class. Listening to Slipknot, The Doors
pr Jimi Hendrix, I haven’t decided, but I will
leave my mark. With the changes I make in
my LGBTQ2S community or via my prison
family, changes for the better, changes to
remember.
We used to Stand United, but we’ve lost
our way. Remember my name, because I will
reunite with what we used to be... ONE!
We make
change
By Michael G Brown
I am being held captive via forcible confine-
ment at a Canadian federal institution. I am
a family man, a father of two and married
to an ex-sex worker. I have firmly believed
that no matter one’s origins, people can be
good, kind and capable of change for the
better. I have been proven horribly wrong
on different occasions but I am still opti-
mistic. I have seen people asked to partake
in falsehoods and not only refuse but went
beyond the evil of indifference to do the
right thing at their own expense. My wife
quit stripping and escorting when she found
out that she was pregnant and we met not
long after that. She gave me a second son,
who may not be blood, but he is as much
part of my heart as my biological. I watch my
wife with support, encouragement and some
guidance, further her education, learn to
drive, start her own businesses and grow as
a good person deep inside. Now, while I am
on the inside, I can see some good quality
in many fellow inmates, some here for petty
crimes, some innocent, and some with just
a simple mistake. While there are many in
here that deserve to be or worse, there are
too many good ones lost in this system. Sad-
ly, I have witnessed many change from calm,
mild mannered men to angry and violent
men. First, though I accept my short term
stay in the federal system and choose to
make the most of it, I am faced with prison
sub culture. I must respect these rules above
the institutional rules but I do not agree with
many. A sentence can be extended or one
can be “maxed out” over an “expected” re-
action to a stolen can of pop. How does one
explain to their kids that their daddy has to
stay an extra 2 years for shanking someone
over canteen items? On the outside one
would laugh at the $7.86 loss while giving
this person a verbal scare. I spend my time
trying to diffuse these situations, helping out
other inmates with disabilities, less food or
with information. I plan on learning, helping,
gaining new skills and hopefully helping
others have a smooth “rehabilitation”. But,
from what I have observed, we are degrad-
ed, poverty stricken, stripped of dignity and
pushed by loneliness, fear, bad guards and
the unwritten rules to become frustrated,
angry, aggressive, intolerant of petty slights
and left with few options besides losing
concrete blossoms
A column for self-identified wom-
en, genderqueer and non-binary
folks.
Fast for the Fallen
By Dawna Brown
Hi, my name is Dawna. I am two-spirited.
I have real issues with inmates not going
24 hours without food, for the sake of
convicts dying for us to get the things we
have now. We are losing everything now
cause people are told “we cannot allow this
or that”. When I asked inmates around the
medium prison I’m in they say “we can’t”,
or not allowed! What the hell is going on
with people being their selves and fighting
for our own rights legally (Grievances) Pris-
oners Justice Day is our day to fast for our
fallen. Believe in yourself and you will learn
a lot from other convicts that have put in
a lot of time and also fight on a daily basis
for us and the new school convicts. Prison
has become a disappointment to the old
school convicts, and the youngsters make
it even worse. Mark, my partner and I, have
been working for the cause because every-
where we turn around something else is
being taken and no-one wants to lose their
privileges or transfers. You can be political
and not have to use threats or violence to
make a point and stand up for us, and the
“new school”. The list of privileges is long
such as: mail, visits, trailer visits, socials,
canteen, purchasing, Hobbycraft, weight
pit, gym sports, Library, DVD players and
movies, televisions, stereos, gardening,
jewelry, personal clothing, walkmans, video
games, and I could keep going on even
more, but I’m sure you get my point! In my
conclusion I think we should honor, re-
spect and try and learn a thing or two from
those cons, that fought for our rights and
not belittle or disrespect them for this day
is to celebrate their accomplishments, and
to support each other so people will not
have to die again for our rights. Thank you
for reading this, and the best to all convicts
worldwide, sincerely yours, Dawna Brown.
respect from peers or react to these menial
slights with unnecessary brutality. The
prison system overall is a corporate machine
designed to turn one time offenders, men
and women, and those that make a simple
mistake into repeat offenders which will
justify the broken legal system of the courts,
the prison system and validate unjustifiable
and overly gross salaries of those “running”
it. I have seen Beauty here…where men of
different ethnicities and backgrounds play
sports together, share jokes and witty banter
back and forth and help each other out. That
is the beauty of the human race. Too many
families are left broken with unforeseeable
consequences upon children left wondering.
Too many good men get hurt or hurt them-
selves because of a biased and corrupt legal
system and a harsh prison system. Before
we can reform prisoners, we must reform
our systems with the input from community
and inmates. We need to put justice into
the courts and develop a screening process
for the employees from CSC workers to
judges and attorneys and especially, police
and crown attorneys. We need a random,
versatile system to over-see the processes
and overlook the decisions made that affect
more than the accused. I do not see inmates
or prisoners. I see men accused and I am
devoted to helping whoever I can. I urge you
to consider the same. We make change.
7 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Surviving the Dark Night of the Soul
Illustration by Brennan Guige
By Zakaria Amara
It’s been called the Void, the Abyss, the
Cave, the Womb, the Dark Night of the Soul.
Those who never experienced it can never
fathom its reality, while most of those who
are in its depths have no idea where they
are. I was once trapped there for many
years, but now I am slowly emerging. Oh!
how dark it’s been!... I wrote this message
because someone that I deeply care about
has just descended into its depths. I hope
that she and others like her, will find it and
use it to make their way out. I often stop
to look back towards the centre, towards a
massive whirling cloud of menacing dark-
ness, hoping to see a sign of her.
The void is not an evil place; it is a univer-
sal human experience. It sometimes mani-
fests itself physically in the form of a prison,
a cave, a belly of a whale or a serious injury
or illness. At other times it manifests itself
socially in the form of an unhappy relation-
ship, loss of a loved one, broken dreams,
or the feeling of permanent entrapment
beneath the rubble of bad life choices. How-
ever, in all cases, the void is a psychological
and spiritual struggle; an inner state that
forces us to transform our inner selves or be
forever condemned to languish in its depths.
In it, all the lies we lived are exposed, the
games we played no longer function, and
the stories we told ourselves are challenged.
The void’s main tool to achieve all of this is
simple: pain in the form of a near constant
depressive state that ebbs and flows. At its
peak, your head feels like it is weighed down
by a heavy invisible hand; as if you are being
forced to look deep down within your soul.
Despite how horrendous all of this seems,
this experience is actually an opportunity of
a lifetime. Carol Orsborn eloquently writes:
‘’However you refer to it, one experiences
it as the period that comes between what
was and what’s next. Within its darkness, it
has no boundaries and no landmarks. When
you are inside it, it feels that there will be no
end. Fortunately, there are many “survivors”
who have journeyed through the void and
emerged more vital, more integrated, more
connected to life’s possibilities, not despite
of, but because of the experience. The void
is, after all, perhaps the most effective place
of reordering of one’s cognitive processes
to take place, for that is where one is least
invested in the structure that once circum-
scribed meaning in one’s life.”
In the beginning, this place was so dark
that I could not even see myself. We all
intuitively know that in the midst of darkness
only light can save us, and so I began search-
ing within my soul for torches to set alight.
After years of searching, I found ten torches
whose collective light could pierce through
even the darkest core of the void. These
torches exist within you as well; all you have
to do is find them.
1. The Torch of Surrender: The void is like
a physician who is attempting to save our
lives. Our unwillingness to cooperate with
him could lead to death or serious harm. We
have to peacefully surrender to the process
rather than try to fight it or escape it.
2. The Torch of Painful Embrace: We
naturally guard against physical and emo-
tional pain. Yet emotional pain is somehow
regarded as Taboo; we are often ashamed
of displaying it because we’ve been taught
to see it as a sign of failure and personal
weakness. Since pain is unavoidable in life,
this attitude only makes it worse by add-
ing layers of guilt, shame and frustration.
Ironically, pain is actually a well-meaning,
misunderstood friend that we must embrace
if we ever hope to heal. Pain is sometimes a
warner that is standing at the frontlines of
a looming disaster, yelling at the top of her
voice, hoping that we would heed the alarm
and make a course change in our lives. At
other times, pain is simply inviting us to
heal from old open wounds that are buried
beneath the sands of time.
3. The Torch of Divine Friendship: The
darkness of the void is overwhelming. We
simply cannot face it by ourselves. The
only being who can give us company in its
loneliness is our Maker. Most of us don’t
realize that we are worthy enough to speak
to him directly without the need for interme-
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
diaries and saints. The prayers of a
sincere heart can echo beyond the
limits of the Universe itself. Unfor-
tunately, many people are unable
to have this spiritual connection
because “God” is simply a projec-
tion of their own Egos. Being vainly
self-righteous and following our
self-serving desires at the expense
of doing what is right, is a sign of
this disease.
In the Quran, God is described as
'ever subtle', therefore as you em-
bark on building this relationship,
do not expect a grand vision or a
thundering voice, but rather learn
the subtle art of reading between
the lines. Rabi’a, the 8th century
female mystic said:
O God,
Whenever I listen to the voice
of anything you have made The
rustling of the trees,
The trickling of water, The cries
of birds,
The flickering of shadow, The
roar of the wind, The song of the
thunder, I hear it saying:
God is One!
Nothing can be compared with
God!
4. The Torch of Truth: We enter
the void as imposters but only our
true selves can emerge. For many
of us, our true selves are buried
alive beneath a mountain of lies
and broken promises. They are
suffocating, gasping for the air of
truth, trying to dig their way out
from beneath the dirt of deceit.
They wail, weep, and call out to
no avail. Every time an opening is made
revealing the rays of truth, a lie snuffs it
out. Therefore, no more lies, manipulations,
broken promises, unfulfilled commitments,
two-faced deceit and false claims of love.
Be truthful with your Maker, with yourself,
and with everyone else. Only then will
you find yourself, and only then will you
be able to see the path ahead with crystal
clarity. Only then will you be able to distin-
guish right from wrong. When we lie, it is
our own spiritual vision that we damage.
Emerson once wrote, “Any attempt to
make a good impression or a favourable ap-
pearance will instantly vitiate (spoil) the ef-
fect. But speak the truth, and all things alive
or brute are vouchers, and the very roots of
the grass underground there do seem to stir
and move to bear witness”
5. The Torch of Hope: This is the central
torch. Its light is the most illuminating when
there is absolutely no hint of light anywhere
else. You must never give up the hope that
beyond the seemingly infinite ocean of hard-
ship the land of relief awaits.
I remain hopeful,
Even when I see no reason to be
The walls are high as heaven The doors are
sealed shut Darkness envelopes me in layers
Yet the Sapling of Hope is in my right, and I
dare to plant it
Knowing the world might end tonight
6. The Torch of Humility: Humility means
having a modest view of our own impor-
tance. Our Ego is the Dragon that keeps
us locked up in the prison of our self-cen-
teredness. An indication of our progress in
lighting this torch is how often we place the
needs of others over our own needs.
7. The Torch of Integrity: In the void, you
will be tested by many situations that will pit
your personal desires directly against what is
right. Every time you make the right choice,
you will move forward, while every time you
choose wrongly, you will violently be tossed
many miles backwards. Hidden motives and
self-serving actions are the vipers that lurk in
the darkness of the void. The fourth Torch of
Truth can help expose them.
8. The Torch of Meaning: There comes a
point in many people’s lives when they real-
ize that what makes life rich and meaningful
is being strongly connected to everyone
from their Maker to their neighbor. The
Prophet Jesus (Peace be upon him) summed
it all up when he said: “The Lord our God,
the Lord is one. Love the Lord your God with
all your heart and with all your soul and with
all your mind and with all your strength. And
love your neighbour as you love yourself.
There is no commandment greater than
these”
9. The Torch of Myth: The most important
story is the story we tell ourselves about
ourselves. Our lives came to a grounding
halt because our story could no longer sail
us forward. Yet we fearfully cling on to it, like
passengers refusing to jump off a sinking
ship. The truth is that there is nothing to
fear. We may still hold on to parts of our sto-
ry that continue to be valuable. We can still
honour the story that we wrote as children
for despite its dysfunctional elements, it was
the best story we could tell in order to sur-
vive. However, now that we are beginning a
new phase in our journey, we have to realize
that only the adult storyteller within us is fit
to be the narrator.
10. The Torch of Patience and Flow: The
Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him)
said: “Victory is intertwined with patience,
relief is intertwined with hardship, and with
every difficulty there is ease”.
If hope and divine love are what moves us
forward, then patience and flow are what
saves us from sliding backwards when faced
with obstacles, setbacks, and provocations.
To be patient is to hold ourselves back
from acting out of frustration and instead
choosing to remain calm until the storm
passes. Flow on the other hand stems from
the realization that our control over what
happens to us is an illusion, and therefore
like a river, we gracefully flow over and
around obstacles instead of allowing them
to hold us back. Those who do not flow with
the river of destiny are always stuck in the
stagnant waters of frustration, anger, and
resentment. They are like a hissing cat that
is being dragged, while its nails are dug deep
into the ever-moving carpet of life.
Flow, Flow, Flow...
Through every hardship and delight Flow,
Flow, Flow...
Through the darkness and the light Flow,
Flow, Flow...
Like a Monarch in its flight Flow, Flow,
Flow...
Like a river in the night
What I have just described is the enriching
and noble inner work that you will need to
embark on. If it seems overwhelming, then
remember that ”a journey of a thousand
miles always begins with one step”. You are
fully capable of completing this journey. Why
else would you be called on to undertake it
at this moment in your life?
Whether you realize it or not, you are a
hero in the making. Joseph Campbell taught
us that every hero that ever came before
us, whether they were a noble Prophet or a
mythical adventurer, had to go through the
phases of Separation, Initiation, and Return.
In Separation, they were physically or psy-
chologically separated from their people. In
Initiation, they were internally transformed
by the knowledge, wisdom, and special pow-
ers they gained. Finally, in Return, they went
back to their people and shared with them
the gifts they were granted.
O Night of my soul, ever so dark Into your
darkest corners I shall embark
Swimming through the deepest oceans of
tears
Withstanding the howling winds of my
fears
Seeking what every noble soul has sought
A treasure that is neither sold or bought
8 // WRITINGS ON THE WALL
Restorative
Justice
By Michael Hector
Hello once again Fellow Sentient
Beings,
I would like to start this (part
three) of my Restorative Justice
article with some personal infor-
mation to perhaps give more if
not better context to what we are
going to be talking about today.
It has been almost five years
since I had the privilege to sit with
the mother of one of the men that
I killed. One of, if not the hardest
thing I have ever done. But having
said that, I can also say with confi-
dence and pride, one of the most
rewarding things I have ever done.
I went into that meeting after
a few opportunities of shared
correspondence and to say I was
terrified would be an understate-
ment. My intentions going into the
meeting were to offer any answers
I might have and in doing so
hopefully give her some (no matter
how small) closure. I was told by
the mediator that it would not be
a hostile setting or environment,
but I have to admit I was willing
and even somewhat hopeful for
just that. I went into that meeting
knowing in my heart of hearts
that I deserved whatever came
my way. What happened in that
room was something I am, to this
day, amazed and so tremendously
grateful for. I was able to tell her I
was sorry for having taken her son
away from her and all the pain I
caused her and her entire family.
I knew then as I know now that
there is no possible way I could
ever take away all the pain I have
One drop is all you need
By Nolan Turcotte
My name is Nolan Turcotte and
my spirit name is Stands with the
Wolves. I am from Flying Dust First
Nation, Kopahawakenum Band.
I was born in Regina, Saskatche-
wan and grew up around a lot of
racism. Due to me being Indig-
enous, but having my mother’s
skin colour, I was constantly being
targeted by the whites and natives.
I had a lot of Indigenous friends,
but when it came to the people
who didn’t know me I immediately
fell victim to the racial slurs. The
natives would call me “white boy”
so I always felt obligated to explain
to them that I was a “half-breed”.
Then because of my mannerisms
the whites would question me on
why I act like an Indian. Again, I felt
obligated to explain to them that I
was a “half-breed”. In all honesty,
with no disrespect to my wonder-
ful mother, I have always gravitat-
ed towards the Indigenous culture
and hated the fact that I have the
blood of a settler mixing with the
warrior blood in my veins. I grew
up loathing the colour of my skin
and at times the pain I held inside
from being a victim of racism
caused me to cry when I was alone.
One thing I can say for sure is
that I have always been the kind
of person to stand up for myself
whether it was verbally or physi-
cally, so there were a lot of times
where I had to fight. There are
caused but I have learned through
Restorative Justice that I must try
“...to the extent possible. Repair
the harms I have caused.” Which is
something I work at every day. But
in the context of that meeting I was
able to answer her questions and
at the end of the day before we
went our separate ways, she told
me that she was nowhere near
forgiving me, but she was glad
that she came. For me at that time
and today, for that matter, I am
still more than satisfied with the
outcome of that meeting. I want
to add one more thing that has
come from that meeting. We have
exchanged correspondence a few
times since then, and I have been
fortunate in that she has been re-
ceptive to my being able to let her
know that I continue to work on
myself and work diligently in the
Restorative Justice Field.
However, what is the most
powerful thing to come from this
process is the compassion this
woman has shown me. It makes
my heart swell and causes a lump
to form in my throat as I try to put
these words down. On more than
one occasion, she has asked me
how things are with my daugh-
ters... and to think she could ask
me about my daughters when I
was the one who took her son
away from her, leaves me feeling
overwhelmed with the amount of
compassion she shows me in just
that one act. And that alone drives
me to hopefully one day be that
inspiring to others. I am sorry the
words I use don’t do justice to the
emotion I feel when I talk about
this, but I hope you can see or feel
just a little of how powerful this
entire process has been for me.
Mostly I hope every day, to one day
be even a fraction of the person
she has been to me.
many memories I have of native
guys being ignorant to me in the
streets, foster care and juvie, but
the funny thing is that when they
actually got to know me they end-
ed up liking me and becoming my
friends. The fucked up thing about
the racism I endured is that the
natives would hate on real “white
boys” and the half-breeds who look
white by using the history card.
They could never disclose any real
facts and all they could utter was
some shit about 400 years ago. But
then again they were just young
kids who were unfortunately lost
and uneducated. I agree that
what the Indigenous people went
through from the moment contact
with the Settlers was made was
horrific, but we can’t blame every
white person for what happened
to us. Their ancestors are the ones
who are guilty of genocide, along
with today’s government and their
supporters, but my mother had
nothing to do with killing, raping
and oppressing our People.
I remember last year I went to
the John Howard pre-release fair
and I was talking with an Indig-
enous woman and she snapped
when I called myself Metis. She
told me to never call myself Metis
because as long as I have Indige-
nous blood that makes me First
Nations. It reminded me of when I
was 13 years old at my drug deal-
ers house. He told me, “It doesn’t
matter how much native is in your
Now where does that bring us in
this part of my Restorative Justice
article? Well let’s see...the word I
wanted to talk about today was the
word forgiveness and I think this
might be the right time to mention
forgiveness is not something you
can ever ask for. It needs to be, for
lack of a better word, organic in its
presence. But you need to know
or understand it will never be a
guarantee, nor should it be. But
most importantly you should never
(as the offender or perpetrator)
ask for forgiveness.
Why do I say you can’t ask for
forgiveness? In asking for forgive-
ness, you are putting responsibility
on the victim, an added weight of
potential obligation. This is some-
thing that will inevitably cause
harm and or pain to someone who
you should be trying with all you
owe to lessen not greaten their
pain.
The act of forgiveness will hap-
pen when it is supposed to hap-
pen, if it happens at all. Remember
the goal in Restorative Justice is
...”to repair to the extent possible.”
Nothing can be repaired complete-
ly. And no matter how much we try
to repair something we will most
always be left with a scar.
Forgiveness, a word that carries
with it such tremendous power,
yet it can also leave you feeling the
effects of an exceedingly burden-
ing weight. Can you see or feel the
juxtaposition of the word as you
read it? So often when I talk about
Restorative Justice I enjoy mention-
ing how so many of the principals
I talk about are simple by design
yet not that easy to preform...this
is maybe the only one that defies
that conundrum, yet for some is
the main reason they seek out this
material.
If I were to ask, what would you
blood. If
it’s in you,
you’re na-
tive.” After
coming
back from
the fair I
felt like I
had to tell
my wife,
Angela,
who is
Ojibwe,
about
what this
lady said
to me.
My wife
agreed
with her
and told
me that
I should
just
identify as
a Plains
Cree man.
This all
made sense to me, but what solid-
ified everything was sometime late
last year I got a pass to go to the
Aboriginal Room for a Circle. The
majority of the Indigenous popu-
lation was down there and a very
kind, sweet Elder named Dawn
Song was there to give us teach-
ings for the day. The teaching she
ended up giving was about blood
quantum within us Indigenous
people. To make a long teaching
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
say is the motivator behind ones
need for forgiveness? It would
seem to me as a layperson, that
the greatest motivator might be
guilt and or shame. Or rather, the
allaying of said guilt or shame.
There will be a time for a discus-
sion on the word shame but today
we will just have to acknowledge
its correlation to ones need or
desire to be forgiven. Guilt and
shame can be extremely debilitat-
ing and yet can also be a genuine
source of drive even a source of
fuel helping one move forward.
By no means do I subscribe to
any process that would promote
guilt or the act of shaming some-
one for their actions or transgres-
sions. Forgiveness is a word that
holds so very much for so vary
many people and it is a bit of a
quandary to me as to what the
actual drive or purpose is if not to
simply let someone off the hook.
I have been asked on more than
one occasion through my involve-
ment with Restorative Justice if
I want or need to be forgiven or
if I have forgiven myself, for that
matter. But I have to say for me it
is not something I hope for and I
honestly don’t know what I would
do with it, if someone said they
forgave me. I can’t even see a time
where I would not feel guilt for
what I have done, and I honestly
don’t feel there should be a time
for me to be guiltless. I have tried
to explain my position on this par-
ticular subject, but I am not sure
I can make someone understand
my position on this. I can say with
certainty, confidence and convic-
tion that the guilt I feel is some-
thing that carries me forward. It
is not something that weighs me
down or holds me back. This is
my opinion and not necessarily a
position meant for everyone, but
short she said that one drop is all
you need.
I encourage anybody who has
Indigenous ancestry to embrace
their culture and practice their
traditions, which is our original way
of life. Now, I am not saying that if
you are Metis you should convert
to calling yourself First Nations, be-
cause if you are a proud Metis man
or woman then I encourage you to
jig and fiddle until the day you die.
What I am saying is that you have
it works for me and I have made
such incredible strides toward
the man I know I should be and
that is enough for me, right now.
Besides, what could the negative
be if the work that I do every day
helps those around me, who ask
for it (and even some who don’t),
and I get to continue to grow as
a contributing member of my
community as well as becoming a
more well-rounded human being.
Hmmm, I can’t think of one either.
In closing, I want to reiterate that
I am only voicing my opinion, but I
don’t see a bad side to anyone con-
sidering for a moment what might
be their motivation in hoping for
forgiveness. That alone may be
all you need to see your way past
what you need and what might
be of a benefit to you and your
victim(s). As I have said it (the guilt)
has been for me, a great motivator
to move forward and gives me a
clear understanding as to why I
move forward.
I should again stress in the stron-
gest terms that this is my opinion
and my opinion alone. Although I
am hoping, I will find people of like
mind as they read this or at the
very least, help to give some un-
derstanding to their own thought
process. Again, this is a rather
complicated issue and can run
deeper than one thinks at just a
glance. This is not an issue that can
be deciphered with just a cursory
attempt, or single thought.
I would like to thank all who
read this for their indulgence and
welcome any future possibility at
some kind if Restorative Justice
Forum that may be offered in the
future of Cell Count as a Q&A type
proposition.
So just for now... Be safe and be
well.
--
The back of Nolan R. Turcotte's head
a choice to identify in any which
way you please and nobody has
the right to tell you who you are
or what you are. You don’t need
a fucking Status card and red
skin to prove you’re a real nee-
chi. Every time we go down to
Health Care for blood work they
are getting all the proof they
need. I’m so neechi my blood
cells wear feathers in their hair,
for fuck sakes! Mitakuye oyasin,
Nolan R. Turcotte
9 // art
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
Tribute
Artto bya friend
Gerry Saulnier
By Greg McMaster Throughout this inconceivable
If you knew Peter like I knew Peter. I on how to write a proper tribute and meaningful memorial for Peter Collins, a man I considered to be a friend, con- journey known as a life sentence,
fidant, and inspiration. It took me a while to get my head around the fact that I will never see Peter again, exchange letters with him, or work on a variety it has been my privilege to have
of projects together. Whether we are citizens, prisoners, activists, humanitarians, we have all lost a precious voice that reminded us we are all one of a worn many hats throughout in-
kind - human kind. Fortunately for us, Peter’s work, life and inspiration lives on through his amazing art work and literary prose. More importantly, Peter volvement with Inmate Commit-
Collins lives on through his family and multitude of friends, Peter strove so hard to become. Peter and I truly did walk a mile in the other man’s shoes. We tees, John Howard Societies, the
were both very young, convicted of similar high-profile offenses, and as a result experienced the absolute worst the broken criminal justice and correctional Exceptional Peoples’ Olympiad,
system has to offer. Although Peter and I did not traverse the darkness together, we understood we were kindred spirits for having survived quite similar Lifeline Inreach, PASAN, on and
journeys.
Yet, Peter did much more than survive. He literally flourished by giving a voice to the voiceless. By standing as an example of what could be done with hard Tribute to a friend
work and determination and truly served as an inspiration to a litany of community-based organizations. Peter Collins was our bright light in the darkness, cont'd from cover page
our lighthouse on top of the hill to show us the way through many storms. My memories of Peter are many, but some of the more vivid are those where no on. But without the backbone
words were spoken. Peter and I would be sitting in a room of 20 or more people, mixtures of citizen volunteers and fellow prisoners, working on one project of unrelenting support of men
or another. As the chatter in the room would pick up and personal debates would stir, Peter and I would just look at each other. Without saying a word, we like Peter Collins, these various
would know exactly what the other was thinking. He already knew the end game and what needed to be done to get us there. The only question his eyes positions were nothing more
would ask me was, “are you going to wrap this up so we can get to the next point, or am I?”
Throughout this inconceivable journey known as a life sentence, it has been my privilege to have worn many hats throughout involvement with Inmate Com-
than meaningless titles. Pedes-
mittees, John Howard Societies, the Exceptional Peoples’ Olympiad, Lifeline Inreach, PASAN, on and on. But without the backbone of unrelenting support of tals for windbags who get noth-
men like Peter Collins, these various positions were nothing more than meaningless titles. Pedestals for windbags who get nothing done. Often Peter would ing done. Often Peter would
be the first person I and many others would turn to. No matter how much he had on his plate, no matter what personal dilemma had befallen him, Peter’s be the first person I and many
response was always the same, “what do you need me to do?” others would turn to. No matter
Three Days before Peter passed away, I stood in the chapel at Beavercreek Medium Institution and did my best to educate 80 men on what Prisoners’ Justice how much he had on his plate,
Day was all about - what it really meant, why we fast and pay homage to all those lives that passed before us. On August 10th, 2015, my best was to read no matter what personal dilem-
aloud what Peter Collins had written about Prisoners’ Justice Day from an older publication sponsored by the Prisoners’ Justice Day Committee in Vancou-
ver, British Columbia. Even as Peter Collins lay in bed, calling out to his last battle with this material world, he served as an inspiration to me and everyone ma had befallen him, Peter’s
present. And yes, I let every man in that chapel know who Peter Collins is, that he was passing soon, what he means to me, and what he should mean to response was always the same,
them. There were a few men present who knew Peter personally. The tears in my eyes brought tears in their eyes and we held our heads high and shed “what do you need me to do?”
those tears high in pride. A couple weeks later as words of Peter’s passing filtered through the prison system, different groups of young men approached Three Days before Peter
me on the walking track to share their condolences that my friend had passed. I didn’t know any of these young men by name, but they had been present at passed away, I stood in the
the chapel at the Prisoner’s Justice Day service, which brings me to my closing point. I am a firm believer in an old saying that goes something like this - we chapel at Beavercreek Medium
actually die twice. Our first death is when we physically pass on from this world as we know it. Our second death, and final death, comes when the last per-
son speaks our name. That’s right people, by sharing our memories and appreciation of Peter Collins, we are keeping Peter’s spirit alive and his inspirations.
Institution and did my best to
I assure you that Peter’s name will be spoken as long as I am alive. educate 80 men on what Pris-
Rest in peace, my friend. I will see you when I get there. No doubt we will have much to discuss. oners’ Justice Day was all about
- what it really meant, why we
fast and pay homage to all
those lives that passed before
us. On August 10th, 2015, my
best was to read aloud what
Peter Collins had written about
Prisoners’ Justice Day from an
older publication sponsored by
the Prisoners’ Justice Day Com-
mittee in Vancouver, British
Columbia. Even as Peter Collins
lay in bed, calling out to his last
battle with this material world,
he served as an inspiration
Art by J. Martineau to me and everyone present.
And yes, I let every man in that
chapel know who Peter Collins
is, that he was passing soon,
what he means to me, and
what he should mean to them.
There were a few men present
who knew Peter personally.
The tears in my eyes brought
tears in their eyes and we held
our heads high and shed those
tears high in pride. A couple
weeks later as words of Peter’s
passing filtered through the
prison system, different groups
of young men approached me
on the walking track to share
their condolences that my
friend had passed. I didn’t know
any of these young men by
name, but they had been pres-
ent at the chapel at the Prison-
er’s Justice Day service, which
brings me to my closing point.
I am a firm believer in an old
saying that goes something like
this - we actually die twice. Our
first death is when we physical-
ly pass on from this world as we
know it. Our second death, and
final death, comes when the
last person speaks our name.
That’s right people, by sharing
our memories and appreciation
of Peter Collins, we are keep-
ing Peter’s spirit alive and his
inspirations. I assure you that
Peter’s name will be spoken as
long as I am alive.

Rest in peace, my friend. I

will see you when I get there.
No doubt we will have much to
discuss.
10 // art
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018

PRISONERS JUSTICE DAY

(AUGUST 10)
By Nick Paccione
"The minority of the op-
ulent must be protected
from the majority."
-Former President James
Madison

Remembrance Day
for our caged comrades,
our brothers & sisters
who have fallen,
are falling,
will fall,
who die by
a thousand little cuts
every day;
bodies
that do not
look right,
act right,
that do not fit,
that do not command
empathy
or political capital,
that are
hidden,
forgotten,
kept out of sight
and out of mind;
products
of hurt & suffering
that then hurt others
and are hurt for it
and hurt ever more
and ever more others;
convenient constructs
that can be expanded at
will,
that can be
pointed at,
blamed,
convicted,
so that the wider cul-
ture
can be absolved
and entire systems
remain free
to protect & perpetuate
power & privilege
at all costs.
Today,
we pause,
grieve,
fast,
but the war goes on,
and so must the fight.
11 // health and harm reduction
REDolutionary
By Nolan R. Turcotte
“I am opening my heart to speak
to you...open yours to receive my
words.” - Como
My name is Nolan Royce Tur-
cotte, but my spirit name is Stands
with the Wolves, which was given
to me by my wife’s healer, Grey
Cloud. I was born in Regina, Sas-
katchewan and I am Plains Cree
from Flying Dust First Nation, Kop-
ahawakenum Band. I come from a
bloodline of chiefs and revolution-
aries. My great-great-great-great
grandfather was a Sioux war chief
named Tamaha (Standing Moose)
and he was from Little Crow’s
Village, Minnesota. I am also a
relative of the great Metis leader
Louis Riel. His mother Julie Riel was
the sister of my great-great-great-
great grandmother Marie Rose
Antoinette lagimodiere.
I am a proud Indigenous man
and I refuse to allow the govern-
ment to oppress us by violating
our rights. I have been incarcerat-
ed for the past 12 years and I am
currently being mentally, emo-
tionally and spiritually tortured in
Millhaven Residential School. I am
Chief of the Native Brotherhood
and I’ll tell you right now that these
settlers hate me for standing up
for what we are entitled to. This
institution has nothing productive
for us Indigenous men to do. We
sit in our cells and wait for the
movement to ceremonies to be
cancelled and on top of that, when
we smudge in our cells we are
always victims of verbal abuse. The
officers accuse us of covering up
the scent of contraband or they
automatically assume that what
they are smelling is marijuana. This
leads to them executing punitive
searches where they tend to disre-
spect our sacred bundles, like they
don’t know that they are obligated
to get an elder or Aboriginal liaison
Officer to open it for them.
Just recently at our Spring
Change of Seasons ceremony
I was given the greatest news I
have heard all year. Finally, after
6 months of proposals, stand offs,
and meetings with Management,
we Indigenous men are now per-
mitted to keep our sacred drums,
along with the sticks, as well as
smudge shells in our cells. They no
longer have to be kept locked away
in storage where the bad medicine
of these prejudice/racist settlers
can harm them.
Another issue that I have been
battling Management with is their
decision to not permit Indigenous
men to bring their bundles into the
PFV house. I used to be allowed to
bring my bundle into the house so
my wife and I can smudge our-
selves and our surroundings, but
after a dog handler complained I
received a notice from the Cx2 in
charge of V and C stating that the
Warden has imposed a new policy.
Indigenous men can no longer
bring their bundle into the PFV
house due to it being a fire hazard!
What has to happen, according to
the new policy, is that if we want
to bring our bundles to the PFV
we have to keep it locked in the
Correctional Manager’s office and
whenever we wish to use it we
have to call them and request it.
But, get this...We are not allowed
to smudge inside the house.
We can only smudge outside at
the picnic table. Do they really
expect us to smudge outside at
the picnic table when it’s pouring
rain, hailing, or snowing in the
winter? Besides, it is our tradition
to smudge a room after entering
and before leaving to get rid of
all the negative energy, as well
as smudging our food to bless it.
Those things cannot happen if we
are restricted to smudging outside.
CSC = Common Sense Cancelled. I
have filed a lengthy Final Grievance
against the Warden of Millhaven
and it is currently being reviewed
by National Headquarters. A
response is projected for July 24,
2018. The funny thing is, just the
other day the Deputy Warden was
doing her rounds and she came
by the program room. I asked her
about the PFV situation and she
told me that everything has been
sorted out. I asked her if I could get
that in writing because they tried
to get me to withdraw my griev-
ance once before by promising me
that the issue would be fixed in
May. Obviously, I didn’t touch their
pen to sign their fake ass treaty
because I knew exactly what would
happen if I did. They must think I’m
just a stupid fucking Indian?
Well, “Err cha not even, boy. Scope
this out, neechi!”
CCRA Section 75: An inmate is en-
titled to reasonable opportunities
to freely and openly participate in,
and express, religion or spirituality,
subject to such reasonable limits
as are prescribed for protecting
the security of the penitentiary or
the safety of persons.
CCRR Section 100 (1): Every
inmate shall be entitled to express
the inmate’s religion or spiritual-
ity in accordance with section 75
of the Act to the extent that the
expression of the inmate’s religion
or spirituality does not
(a) jeopardize the security of the
penitentiary or the safety of any
person; or
(b) involve contraband.
CCRR Section 101: The Service
shall ensure that, where practica-
ble, the necessities that are not
contraband and that are reason-
ably required by an inmate for
the inmate’s religion or spirituality
are made available to the inmate,
including
(a) interfaith chaplaincy services;
(b) facilities for the expression of
the religion or spirituality;
(c) a special diet as required by
the inmate’s religious or spiritual
tenets; and
(d) the necessities related to spe-
cial religious or spiritual rites of the
inmate.
They are also violating Commis-
sioner’s Directive 060, paragraphs
11 and 12, but due to it being a lit-
tle lengthy and me wanting to save
room for this issue of Cell Count I
will leave it up to you to research it
yourself. No disrespect.
I will not tolerate the mistreat-
ment of our people, so I am con-
stantly searching for a flaw in the
settler’s design so I can rise up for
the weakened and silenced. I don’t
understand how they can judge us
for what we do, when they were
the ones who brought over the
bad medicine from Europe and
entrenched it into our way of life?
Who we “are” today isn’t who we
were supposed to be, but now we
are forced to adapt to what has
happened. Although, our current
condition is extremely unfortunate
we still have the capacity to stand
up for ourselves. We have that
warrior blood flowing through our
veins and it is what makes our
hearts beat like the drum that rep-
HIV
By Mark Zammit
Hey all, another quarterly rant by
yours truly. Just sitting here in my
cell, listening to “Audioslave” won-
dering what to write about. And
then, out of the blue, without even
asking, the uneducated, ignorant
and arrogant new school wannabe
tough guys gave me a topic. So
hold on to your bad selves, we are
going to talk about HIV/ AIDS.
now to those running the rumour
mill and airing everyone else’s per-
sonal business, don’t get excited, I
am HIV negative. Sorry to ruin your
shit talk.
Having said that, HIV/AIDS is no
laughing matter, but it also is no
longer the death sentence it used
to be. Unfortunately, the stigma
and Horror Story surrounding HIV
have had little change, and believe
it or not, the words, insults, names
and behaviour towards some HIV
poz people hurt more than the
disease itself, and I for one find
that extremely sad.
In 1987 or so, my Uncle Jerry
withered away painfully and
passed away from complications
due to full-blown AIDS. The day
that Uncle Jerry died, I was sum-
moned by him to his hospital room
(for reasons that are only mine
and his business) to say goodbye.
In order to hold his hand, the staff
nurses made me mask and glove
up because even they were uned-
ucated on the disease back then.
When it came time for me to leave,
I removed my gloves and gown,
tore my mask off and held his frail
resents the circle of our very being.
That circle represents the children,
adolescents, adults and elders.
If we all stand together and fight
for our rights we will become an
unbreakable force to be reckoned
with.
Have you heard the teaching
about the hummingbird? Well...
One day there was a great forest
fire that was spreading through
our land. All the animals in the for-
est were scared and started to run
away. As they were running away
from the fire there was a little
hummingbird who flew to a nearby
lake and scooped up some water
in his beak. He flew over to where
the fire was and dropped the water
onto the fire. The animals saw him
do this and they all yelled at him,
“What do you think you’re doing?
That’s not going to do anything!”
The hummingbird said to them,
“I’m doing what I can.”
The teaching of this story is, no
matter who you are you can always
do something to help.
The situation our people are
in today is like a great forest fire
and I feel like that hummingbird.
At least when I die I can proudly
say I played my part in trying to
make things better for our people.
I can only encourage you to do
the same. I am not trying to incite
violence, so please don’t get my
message twisted. I am promoting
protests and paperwork.
With that said, I will end this
with a quote from the Cherokees.
“Though we are powerful and
strong, and we know how to fight,
we do not wish to fight.” A-ho!
Mitakuye oyasin, SWTW
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
hand, lead over his already dead
body and kissed him on the lips
and whispered: “I love you”. Within
8 hours my Uncle Jerry had died.
After witnessing my touch and kiss
of my uncle’s bare skin, the nurses
went ballistic, ordering me to
wash my hands, face and lips with
alcohol swabs. In 1987 when the
general population was petrified
of the HIV virus, as afraid of it as I
was, I was still very angry and dis-
gusted at the behaviour of medical
staff. 31 years later, at age 47 and
HIV-negative, with all the literature,
available proven knowledge, the
behaviour, bullying, should talking
and uneducated stereotyping dis-
gusts me even more so than ever.
There is no reason at all in this day
and age that anyone should be
belittled or picked on by someone
uneducated about this disease,
you are only uneducated because
you choose to be.
My name is Mark Thomas Zam-
mit, I was born on December 15th,
1970 and I’m an openly gay male
who has had two HIV poz partners,
and once again, I am HIV negative.
Now I can go into discussion about
viral loads and so on, but that
won’t help those who don’t wish
to learn, so let me put it this way,
“U=U”, “Undetectable=Untransmit-
table”.
If your partner is HIV-positive and
their viral loads and blood cells
and such, are at the proper levels
Etc, then they will show undetect-
able, which means in turn, they’re
untransmittable.
Now I am not a medical profes-
sional and I am not a scientist. but
I can read and I can listen and ask
questions and like I already said,
I’ve had two positive Partners,
so like me or not, I am educat-
ed on the topic and know of
what I speak.
Nothing pisses me off more
than seeing an HIV-positive
inmate/convict who is forced
to not use or to use certain
showers, toilets were eating
stations etc, because some
uneducated hypocrite wants
to play tough guy. Usually that
same want to be tough guy
who tries to segregate and
Provincial funding for hepatitis C drugs a
game changer, health professionals say
CBC News
The Ontario government says it will
cover the cost of medication for all
hepatitis C patients, regardless of the
severity of the disease, a move that’s
being touted as a game-changing
decision by health professionals in
the field.
Prior to the changes made to the
Ontario Drug Benefit (ODB) program
on Feb. 28, only patients in the late
stages of liver disease could be ap-
proved for the expensive treatments.
Vulnerable patients like pregnant
mothers could also be covered.
“Due to significant costs ($45,000
to $100,000 per patient), hepatitis
C drugs were previously restrict-
ed,” stated Ministry of Health and
Long-Term Care spokesperson David
Jensen in an email.
Jensen said the changes were
spurred by the newfound availability
of minimally invasive drugs with very
high cure rates.
“The new medicines for hepatitis C
have the potential to be curative,
avoiding the complications associated
with chronic hepatitis C infection,”
said Jensen.
There are currently eight drugs ap-
proved to treat hepatitis C under the
province’s drug benefits program.
Dr. Paul Marotta believes the changes
mark a critical turning point for treat-
ment of the disease.
HIV poz person we’ll sit in their cell,
and smoke weed or bogie that was
suitcase in another cons ass. so at
the risk of sounding like an asshole
I say this, “if you are willing to, or
do smoke something that is hidden
in another person’s buttocks, but
your concern lies with sharing a
shower with an HIV poz person,
then you are truly a selfish, unedu-
cated, hypocritical idiot.”
HIV is a blood to blood transmit-
table disease and if the person is
undetectable then that person is
also untransmittable. You can-
not catch HIV or AIDS from tears,
saliva, sweat... Kissing, hugging or
touching.
Sharing a shower, toilet, cloth-
ing or eating utensils are 100%
safe. Can you catch cancer or a
heart condition from sharing a
joint shower or toilet? No! Abso-
lutely not! This is pretty much the
same, so to all the hypocrites,
the know-it-alls and the wannabe
tough guys. The day may one day
come when it is you or a loved one
who get sick. Would you like to be
treated as an outcast or have your
loved one bullied because of their
HIV status? We both know that the
answer is no! So get off of your
high horse, you are no better or
worse than a positive person, use
your brain and heart... Not your
mouth or your hate.
Please note a correction from our
previous issue. The article entitled
‘Taking care of yourself when you’re
LGBTQ2S and in prison’ was also
written by Mark Zammit. We did not
print his name with that article in
error. Apologies to Mark for this mis-
take and thank you for all that you
have contributed to Cell Count thus
far. We appreciate you a lot.
He’s a hepatologist and the medical
director of the liver transplant pro-
gram at the London Health Sciences
Centre.
“This is probably — hopefully —
the final piece of the puzzle,” says
Marotta.
He notes that for decades, available
hepatitis C treatments were long,
complex and had low success rates.
He says that’s now changed.
“In the last several years, we’ve been
able to access some products which
are in pill form, very short duration,
meaning three months of one pill
once per day, almost no side-effects,
almost 100 per cent cure rates,”
explains Marotta.
Canada’s federal government has
also stated its belief in the treatments,
having committed to rid the country
of hepatitis C by 2030.
Dominica Anderson believes that’s
an ambitious goal. She’s an outreach
nurse with Reseau ACCESS Network in
Sudbury. Still, Anderson says she was
relieved and pleased about the Ontar-
io’s government’s recent changes.
Part of the problem, Marotta adds,
is that many of the estimated 250,000
people who have contracted the dis-
ease don’t know they have it.
Note: this is not yet fully accessible
inside provincial prisons, but we are
advocating for that to change. We want
this to happen inside too.
12 // resources & about pasan
CELL COUNT//ISSUE 85//SUMMER 2018
EAST COAST 1 est, rue Sherbrooke, Montréal, H2X 107-33 Isabella St, Toronto, M4Y 955 Queen Street East, Toronto, M4M FED - 1-877-900-2437 (#’s approved
3V8 514-844-2477 2P7 416-963-4300 (Collect) 3P3 by institutions and are NOT Collect
ALLY CENTRE COMITÉ des PERSONNES ATTEINTES BLACK COALITION for AIDS PREVEN- 416-461-1925 (Collect only on Tuesday Calls)
Take collect calls du VIH du QUEBEC (CPAVIH) TION & Friday, 11am-5pm) Positive Living Society of BC
150 Bentinck St, Sydney, NS, B1P 1-800-927-2844 Accept collect calls Once out, please call 416-417-6135 Leita McInnis, Prison Outreach
1G6 902-567-1766 2075 rue Plessis bureau 310, Montreal, 20 Victoria St, 4th Flr, Toronto, M5C Worker
AIDS COALITION of NOVA SCOTIA H2L 2Y4 1-800-927-2844 2N8 416-977-9955 (Collect)  PRAIRIES  1101 Seymour St, 4th Floor, Vancou-
Accept collect calls CANADIAN HIV/AIDS LEGAL NET- HIV COMMUNITY LINK ver, BC V68 0R1 Fed: 1-877-900-2437
1675 Bedford Row, Halifax, NS, B3J ONTARIO WORK Prov: 604-525-8646
Accept collect calls
1T11-800-566-2437, 902-425-4882 2-SPIRITED PEOPLE of the 1ST NA- Accept collect calls 110-1603 10th Ave SW, Calgary, AB, T3C LINC
AIDS COMMITTEE of NEWFOUND- TIONS 1240 Bay St #600, Toronto, M5R 2A7 416- 0J7 403-508-2500 33270 14th Ave, Mission, BC, V2V 4Z7
LAND & LABRADOR Accept collect calls 595-1666 (Collect) AIDS SASKATOON 1-877-424-4242 (BC only)
Take collect calls 145 Front Street East Suite 105 Toron- FIFE HOUSE 1143 Ave F N, Saskatoon, SK, S7L 1X1306-
47 Janeway Place, St. John’s, NL, A1A Accepts collect calls NATIONAL
to, Ontario M5A 1E3 416-944-9300 242-5005 1-800-667-6876
1R7 1-800-563-1575 AFRICANS in PARTNERSHIP AGAINST 490 Sherbourne St, 2nd Flr, Toronto, CENTRAL ALBERTA AIDS NET- CANADIAN ASSOCIATION OF ELIZA-
AIDS NEW BRUNSWICK AIDS M4X 1K9  WORK SOCIETY BETH FRY SOCIETIES (Women)
65 Brunswick St, Fredericton, NB, E3B No collect calls, call PASAN 416-205-9888 No collect calls 701-151 Slater St.
1G51-800-561-4009, 506-459-7518 526 Richmond St E, Toronto, M5A HIV & AIDS LEGAL CLINIC OF ON. 4611 50th Ave, Red Deer, AB, T4N 3Z9 Ottawa, ON
AIDS PEI 1R3 416-924-5256 (HALCO) 403-346-8858 K1P 5H3
Take collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE of CAMBRIDGE, Accept collect calls HIV EDMONTON (613) 238-2422
2-375 University Ave, Charlottetown, KITCHENER,WATERLOO & AREA 65 Wellesley St E, Toronto, M4Y 9702 111 Ave NW, Edmonton, AB, BRAIN INJURY ASSOC OF CANADA
PE, C1A 4N4 902-566-2437 Accept collect calls 1G7 1-888-705-8889 T5G 0B1 1-877-388-5742 440 Laurier Ave. West, Suite 200
AIDS SAINT JOHN Have a toll-free number HIV/AIDS REGIONAL SERVICES (HARS) KIMAMOW ATOSKANOW FOUNDA- Ottawa, ON K1R 7X6 Toll-free: 1-866-
Don’t accept collect calls 2B-625 King St E, Kitchener, N2G Accept collect calls TION 977-2492
115 Hazen St, NB, E2L 3L3 506-652- 4V4 519-570-3687 (Collect), 1-877–770– 844-A Princess St, Kingston, K7L Accept collect calls CATIE
2437 3687 1G5 613-545-3698 (Collect) RR 1, Site 1, Box 133, Onoway, AB, T0E 1-800-263-1638
HEALING OUR NATIONS: AIDS COMMITTEE OF GUELPH ONTARIO ABORIGINAL HIV/AIDS 1V01-866-971-7233, 780-913-9036 555 Richmond St W #505, Toronto, ON
1-800 565 4255 Accept collect calls, prefer that people STRATEGY NINE CIRCLES COMMUNITY HEALTH M5V 3B1
3-15 Alderney Dr, Dartmouth, NS, B2Y use their Accept collect calls CENTRE
2N21-800-565-4255, 902-492-4255 89 Dawson Rd, Unit 113, Guelph, N1H 844-A Princess St, Kingston, K7L 705 Broadway, Winnipeg, MB, R3G 0X2 Prisoner Initiatives
MAINLINE NEEDLE EXCHANGE 3X2 1-800-282-4505; 519-763-2255 1G5 613-549-7540 (Collect) 1-888-305-8647
Calls from within Nova Scotia are free PEEL HIV/AIDS NETWORK PRISONERS UNITED ORGANIZATION
(Collect) PLWA NETWORK OF SASKATCHEWAN Created by and for prisoners in the
Don’t accept collect calls AIDS COMMITTEE of NORTH BAY Accept collect calls No collect calls
5511 Cornwallis St, Halifax, NS, B3K 160 Traders Blvd, Unit 1, Mississauga, Canadian federal correctional system.
and AREA Box 7123, Saskatoon, SK, S7K 4I1 306- Our purpose is to explore the ways
1B3 902-423-9991 Accept collect calls L4Z 3K7 373-7766
SHARP ADVICE NEEDLE EXCHANGE 1-866-896-8700, 905-361-0523 (Collect) in which both the experience and
201-269 Main St W, North Bay, P1B OUT SASKATOON the outcome of incarceration may be
Accept collect calls 2T8 705-497-3560 (Collect) PETERBOROUGH AIDS RESOURCE 320 21 St W, Saskatoon, SK S7M 4E6
150 Bentnick St, Sydney, NS, B1P NETWORK (PARN) enhanced. We welcome everyone to
AIDS COMMITTEE of OTTAWA 1-800-358-1833 visit our website at prisonersunited.
6H1 902-539-5556 (Collect) 700-251 Bank St, Ottawa, K2P 1X3 613- Accept collect calls PRINCE ALBERT METIS WOMEN’S
SIDA/AIDS MONCTON 302-159 King St, Peterborough, K9J org. We encourage you to share your
238-5014 (Collect) or Toll Free (ON & ASSOC. stories on our forum (prisonersunited.
Accept collect calls as long as they’re QC only) 1-800-461-2182 2R81-800-361-2895, 705-932-9110 (Col- No collect calls
HIV related lect) boards.net) and our facebook page
AIDS COMMITTEE of THUNDER BAY 54 10th St E, Prince Albert, SK, S6V (www.facebook.com/prisonersunited)
80 Weldon St, Moncton, NB, E1C 574 Memorial Ave, Thunder Bay, STREET HEALTH CENTRE 0Y5 306-763-5356
5V8 506-859-9616 Accept collect calls to shed light on the current practices
P7B 3Z2 1-800-488-5840, 807-345- RED RIBBON PLACE and problems within the Canadian
EAST COAST PRISON JUSTICE SOCIETY 1516 (Collect) Hepatitis C Treatment Program 235 (ALL NATIONS HOPE AIDS NETWORK)
6061 University Ave, PO Box 15000 Wellington St, Kingston, K7K 0B5 613- correctional system.
POSITIVE LIVING NIAGARA  2735 5th Ave, Regina, SK, S4T BLACK INMATES & FRIENDS ASSEM-
Halifax, NS, B3H 4R2 Accept collect calls from registered 549-1440 (Collect) 0L2 1-877-210-7622
THE AIDS NETWORK (TAN) BLY
QUEBEC clients STREET CONNECTIONS 2518 Eglinton Avenue West
(Recommend that you get a case man- Don’t accept collect calls No collect calls
101-140 King St E, Hamilton, L8N Toronto, Ontario M6M 1T1
CACTUS ager to get registered with them) 705 Broadway Ave, Winnipeg, MB, ph (416) 652-3131
Accept collect calls 111 Church St, St Catharines, L2R 1B2 905-528-0854 toll free 1-866-563- R3G 0X2 204-940-2504 WOMEN: 50
0563 OUT OF BOUNDS MAGAZINE
1300 rue Sanguinet, Montreal, H2X 3C9 905-984-8684 or toll free 1-800- Argyle, Winnipeg, MB, R3B 0H6 204- 6000 William Head Rd, Victoria, BC
3E7 514-847-0067 773-9843 THE WORKS 943-6379
Accept collect calls V9C 0B5
CENTRE for AIDS SERVICES MONTRE- ANISHNAWBE HEALTH AIDS PRO- JOURNAL OF PRISONERS ON PRIS-
AL (Women) GRAM 277 Victoria St, Toronto, 416-392-0520 WEST COAST 
(Collect) ONS
Accept collect calls No collect calls AIDS VANCOUVER ISLAND c/o Justin Piché, PhD, Associate Profes-
1750 Rue Saint-Andre, 3rd Flr, Montre- 255 Queen St E, Toronto, M5A 1S4 416- TORONTO PWA FOUNDATION
Accept collect calls from clients Accepts collect calls. 713 Johnson St, sor, Dept of Criminology University of
al, H2L 3T81-877-847-3636, 514-495-0990 360-0486 3rd Flr, Victoria, V8W 1M8 250-384- Ottawa, Ottawa, ON, Canada
COALITION des ORGANISMESCOM- ASIAN COMMUNITY AIDS SERVICE 200 Gerrard St E, 2nd Flr, Toronto, M5A
2E6 416-506-1400 2366 or 1-800-665-2437 K1N 6N5
MUNAUTAIRES QUEBECOIS de LUTTE- When prisoners call, they offer them PLBC - PRISON OUTREACH PROJECT PRISON FREE PRESS
CONTRE le SIDA (COCQSIDA) small bursaries to cover their calling Toronto Community Hep C Program
Accept collect calls 1107 Seymour St, Vancouver, V6B PO Box 39, Stn P
Accept collect calls fees 5S8 Toll Free: PROV - 604-525-8646 Toronto, ON, M5S 2S6

ABOUT PASAN STAFF CELL COUNT TEAM

PASAN is a community-based HIV Service organization Outreach & Education
that strives to provide community development, educa-
tion and support to prisoners and ex-prisoners in Ontario Prison Education Programs: 
PASAN conducts HIV prevention education programs in Sena Hussain
ON HIV, Hepatitis C (HCV) and other harm reduction Chaman Agarwal
many adult and youth institutions in the southern Ontario Lead Editor
issues. PASAN formed in 1991 as a grassroots response
region.  This program includes a Peer Educators Group,
Office Coordinator Janet Rowe
to HIV in the Canadian prison system. Today, PASAN Cell Count Supervisor
is the only community-based organization in Canada
whereby ex-prisoners living with HIV are educators for Eveline Allen Brendan Arnott
exclusively providing HIV and HCV prevention, education
current prisoners.   Regional Prison In-Reach Coordinator Cell Count Volunteer
PASAN conducts free training for those working with Zakaria Amara
and support services to prisoners, ex-prisoners and their
prison-affected and drug using populations.  Training Nikki Browne Writer
families.
topics include: Women's Program Coordinator Gregory J. McMaster
Support Services ▪ HIV & Prison
Seth Clarke Writer
▪ Harm Reduction
Individual Support Services: ​Federal Community Development Coordinator (on Nick Paccione
▪ The Impact of Segregation Writer
▪ Individual support & counselling ▪ Stigma & Discrimination
leave) Philipe Poisson
▪ case management Zachary Grant Writer
Systemic Advocacy Michael Hector
▪ pre-release and post-release planning Federal Community Development Coordinator Writer
▪ referrals  Since our beginnings in 1991, PASAN has always
▪ advocacy for medical services  maintained a focus on systemic issues of HIV/AIDS and Trevor Gray Mark Zammit
Community Programs Coordinator Writer
▪ housing supports prisons.   Some has been involved in many systemic Forgotten Warrior
▪ phone support through collect calling  advocacy efforts including: Sena Hussain Writer
▪ Prison Needle Syringe Project (2014/15) Dawna Brown
▪ emergency financial assistance (limited budget for fees Communications & Resource Dev Coordinator
related to identification and prison release.  Application ▪ Advocacy against the use of segregation Writer
requirements exist) ▪ Presentation to the Canadian Human Rights Commis- Lindsay Jennings Nolan R. Turcotte
Writer
sion (2001) Provincial HepC Program Coordinator
▪ Advocacy for male-to-female transsexual/transgendered Michael G. Brown
Community Support Services:
prisoners and HIV (1999)
Claudia Medina Writer
PASAN also provides support AIDS Service Organizations
▪ Presentation to the Presidential Advisory Council on Program Manager
and community groups across Ontario.  This includes:  Poetry: Zakaria Amara, Nolan R. Turcotte, Ty-
▪ resources & educational materials
HIV/AIDS in Washington DC (1998) Janet Rowe lor Beggs, David Cioffi, Tim Rogers, S. Halliday
▪ Presentation to the Parliamentary Subcommittee on Executive Director aka G and Cam Martin
▪ training
AIDS (1996) Art: Jeremy Hall, Gerry Saulnier, J. Martineau,
▪ assistance to set up prison outreach and support ▪ HIV/AIDS in Youth Custody Settings: A Comprehensive Cherisa Shivcharran Sonny Cook and Brennan Guige
projects Strategy (1996) Provincial Community Development Coordinator
▪ strategies to develop referral “hubs” for HIV positive ▪ Organization of the first National Workshop on HIV/ Let us know if we mistakenly forgot
prisoners Aanya Wood someone!
AIDS in Prison (1995). 
▪ networking for the development of a continuum of care ▪ HIV/AIDS in Prison Systems: A Comprehensive Strate-
Federal Community Development Coordinator
for prisoners transferred between regions  gy (1992)