A Coroner’s Inquest is currently underway in Kitchener in regard to the self strangulation of Ashley Smith, an inmate at the Grand Valley Institution for Women in October 2007.
Many good articles have been written concerning this very troubled teen, most notably by Christie Blatchford of the National Post.
Smith first had run ins with the authority in her very early teens in her home town of Moncton New Brunswick. The ‘crimes’ she committed were of the usual sort for a young teen e.g. trespass, causing a disturbance but by the time she was 15, she was continually skipping school and causing numerous breaches of the peace, as well as inflicting injuries to her body.
She was diagnosed at this point with ADHD.
Until she reached age 18, Ashley was continually in and out of juvenile detention.
Upon reaching age of majority, she was transferred to women’s prison and began attempts to seriously injure herself, most usually by tying rope / strings around her neck. It became an almost daily event.
At first guards responded quickly to her rescue but by the time she had reached 19 and was now jailed in Kitchener Ontario, word had been given to her guards to only interfere with her attempts at suicide if death was imminent.
One day in October, 2007 the guards waited a few seconds too long and young Ashley succumbed to her self administered strangulation.
The Warden was fired and guards criminally charged for the wanton way in which they stood back and let this young lady die.
In due course though, the criminal charges were withdrawn when it became evident that these self same guards were under orders from above to do just what they did – i.e. wait.
The Coroner’s Inquiry has placed a spot light on this very sad chapter of Canadian Penal History.
Wrong was done.
Not by the guards however but by the system.
She never ever should have been admitted to the criminal justice system – either at the juvenile level and most especially at the penitentiary level.
As for the guards, they are not there to be on call 24 hours per day, 7 days per week to prevent a suicide. Even by saying their directive to go slow was ill advised, sooner or later, Ashley would have been successful – regardless.
Back when she was but 15 enough evidence existed to confirm she needed mental health assistance. She needed active mental health treatment in a facility designed specifically for that.
Here in Canada, we have very few such facilities and young ones like Ashley are dying or going untreated.
The System failed Ashley – but it was not the Guards nor even the Warden who did so.
It was us – the public for not having demanded better care for our mentally ill kids long before now.
As I see it …
‘K.D. Galagher’
