ASHLEY SMITH WAS MURDERED

Today's on-line Waterloo Region Record advises us that the Coroner's jury has returned a homicide verdict in the death of Ashley Smith at the Grand Valley Institution for women, six years ago. A death by homicide is unprecedented in a federal facility that was not the result of another inmate. The title is "Coroner's jury returns homicide verdict at Ashley Smith inquest".

The behaviour of the Warden and her superiors the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has been disgraceful. From the CSC fighting tooth and nail in court to avoid producing documentary evidence to the abdication of responsibility by the Warden under cross-examination; this case has been repulsive. Immediately after Ashley Smith's death the Warden and her minions threw the guards to the wolves initially resulting in criminal charges against them which were later dropped. The Crown and police had been misinformed in the beginning and felt that criminal negligence charges were appropriate because the guards had sat and watched and not intervened until it was too late. Only later did they learn of the orders and threats the guards were under by management in responding to Ashley's ligature tying. Hopefully this homicide verdict will shake things up, cause heads to roll, possibly result in appropriate criminal charges this time and most importantly change the culture within the CSC. Inmates have been reduced from human beings to statistics and the CSC behaved as if the statistics were the important issues. Shame on their stupidity and insensitivity.