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Prolonged Solitary Confinement Class Action Lawsuit Overview:
- Who: Former prisoners filed a class action lawsuit against the provincial government of Canada.
- Why: The former prisoners claim their rights were violated by being subjected to periods of solitary confinement while housed at correctional facilities in Canada.
- Where: The class action lawsuit was certified by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.
A class action lawsuit seeking compensation for former prisoners who were subjected to prolonged periods of solitary confinement has been certified by the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador.
A Class of as many as 70 former prisoners claim being held in solitary confinement for longer than 15 days violates prisoners rights and “constitutes cruel and unusual treatment.”
As many as 70 prisoners have joined the class action lawsuit so far, reports SaltWire Network. The law firm representing the Class, Morris Martin Moore, said they plan on issuing public notices so that more potential participants can come forward.
Jim Locke, a lawyer for Morris Martin Moore, told SaltWire network that the class action lawsuit is about more than just earning financial compensation.
“Our hope is that this class action, instead of a handful of individual actions, will get the attention of the province and we’ll see meaningful change that has the effect of fixing things,” Locke said.
Her Majesty’s Penitentiary, Newfoundland and Labrador Correctional Facility for Women, Bishop’s Fall Correctional Centre, West Coast Correctional Centre, and Labrador Correctional Centre were all named in the class action lawsuit.
A new segregation policy was announced by the provincial government in October 2017 that seeked to help alleviate the issue of prolonged periods of isolation for prisoners, reports SaltWire Network.
Among 18 recommendations was to shorten the maximum time a prisoner could spend in segregation from 15 days to 10 days, to refrain from putting prisoner’s experiencing a mental health crisis in segregation, and to improve the physical conditions of segregation cells.
In September, a separate Class of former prisoners came to a $28 million agreement to settle claims they experienced administrative segregation while being housed in Canadian federal penitentiaries.
Have you been subjected to solitary confinement while at a federal penitentiary in Canada? Let us know in the comments!
The plaintiffs are represented by Jim Locke of Morris Martin Moore.
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2 thoughts onFormer Prisoners Claim Prolonged Periods of Solitary Confinement Violated Their Rights
I was in PGRCC in British Columbia and was in solitary confinement for over 30 days in one sitting this was 2015/2016 can you please contact me and let me know if I am able to apply for this thank you
i was in moved to toronto south from pic in brampton int and was put in solitary confinement 23 hours a day one month cuz of coved 19 break out in pic brampton I need am of help seeing gov please help me i tested positives 2 while in pic jail and was sick headaches xdirreah etc and stress of dying n not ever seeing my family again please help me