Claudia Chender: On solitary confinement, government needs to start listening
KJIPUKTUK (Halifax) – Last month, the prisoners at the Central Nova Correctional facility ended a three-week-long strike. Their protest drew attention to the issues in that facility and throughout our correctional system. Now, the province is being sued over its use of extended solitary confinement in our prisons.
According to the proposed class action suit filed yesterday, regardless of policy, solitary confinement in Nova Scotia can be extended indefinitely. In fact, earlier this year Auditor General Michael Pickup flagged that prisoners in Nova Scotia jails were confined longer than permitted by departmental policy.
Prisoners at Burnside have called for better access to health care on par with other Canadians, including pre-natal care. They want access to educational and rehabilitative programming, so they can be productive members of society upon release. And they want contact visits with their families — the ability to touch a loved one, a child or a parent, can maintain an important bond and help in the rehabilitation process…