There is something inherently fishy about a system in which records to which a citizen is entitled are continually delayed.
That was the case for Ashley Smith, an inmate of Canada’s correctional system, a young girl with mental health issues, one who was moved 17 times in 11 months during her incarceration.
She had requested access to her own records — something to which every prisoner has a right. The request is supposed to be answered within 30 days, but the prison service asked for an extension — which they missed.
The request had gone unanswered by the time Smith had committed suicide, 123 days after the original request. She was only 19 years old at the time.
The story of Ashley Smith is an unmitigated tragedy. She was a young girl, one that initially entered the prison system for a relatively minor offence, but whose mental health issues made it nearly impossible for her to cope with the prison system.
The real tragedy is that her cries for help went unheeded until it was too late.
Prison ombudsman Howard Sapers, the correctional investigator, harshly criticized the prison service co failing to protect Smith, and urged it to make changes to prevent similar tragedies.
While we cannot bring Smith back, there is a glimmer of hope that similar tragedies can be prevented, now that Smith’s records are going to be released to the public.
The Elizabeth Fry Society, which finally gained access to her records last week, will be releasing their findings to the public on Sept. 17.
We expect that the release will be an enlightening exercise for all of us, revealing just what it was that caused so much despair for Smith that she felt she had to end her life.
We hope, however, that it will lead to more than a simple recounting of what caused Smith’s life to end so tragically.
It will only be worth something if the release of her records leads to lasting change, so other deaths like Smith’s can be prevented.