[IPSM] Fwd: Shackling of Youth in the Sacred Sweat Lodge

Mon Feb 20 12:16:40 PST 2006

Begin forwarded message:

> From: Angela Sterritt <noxmadima at yahoo.com>
> Date: February 20, 2006 12:01:12 PM PST
> To: noxmadima at yahoo.com, "indigenousyouth at lists.resist.ca"  
> <indigenousyouth at lists.resist.ca>
> Cc: Justice For Girls <justiceforgirls at justiceforgirls.org>
> Subject: Shackling of Youth in the Sacred Sweat Lodge
>
> *Please distribute far and wide*
>
> Hello Community member,
>
> I hope word has spread to you that the youth jail in Burnaby,   
> (BYOCC), is shackling youth by the ankles in the Sacred Sweat Lodge  
> as ordered by MCFD. This is not only outrageous but constitutes a  
> violation of constitutional and human rights. Youth who undergo  
> shackling in the Sacred Lodge face emotional, spiritual, and  
> physical trauma and are further humiliated when practicing a  
> cultural and spiritual rite they are entitled to in leg restraints.  
> We have written a letter to Stan Hagan at MCFD and asked him to  
> remove the policy that mandates youth be shackled in the Sacred  
> Sweat Lodge and have asked that they change the policy and cease  
> and desist the practice immediately.
>
> Since we have heard absolutely no response from the Ministry nor  
> the youth prison, we are asking that you, as an individual or an  
> organization, to please write a letter to the Minister or BYOCC as  
> we did. It is a small gesture of support and of urgent action needed.
>
> We have attached the policy amendments, information written about  
> the Sacred Sweat Lodge in the prison, as well as our letter (which  
> was officially signed by the stated organizations before mailed to  
> Stan Hagan), and our press release. I have also pasted our letter  
> to the minister below.
>
> Please CC your letter (if you are able) to Justice for Girls.
>
> Thank you for your support,
>
> Angela Sterritt
> Justice for Girls Advocate
> (604)-689-7887
> fax: 604-689-5600
> www.justiceforgirls.org
>
> Attn: Hon. Stan Hagen
> Minister
> Ministry of Children & Family Development
> PO Box 9721 Stn Prov Govt
> Victoria, BC
> V8W 9S2
>
>
>
> Dear Mr. Hagen:
>
> Re: Shackling of Youth Prisoners during Sweat Lodge Ceremony
>
> We the undersigned are deeply concerned about the excessive and  
> discriminatory use of mechanical leg restraints during the Sweat  
> Lodge Ceremony at the Burnaby Youth Secure Custody Centre (BYSCC);  
> a practice we consider racist and tantamount to abuses carried out  
> in residential schools.  This use of mechanical restraints not only  
> exposes youth to risk of physical, emotional and spiritual damages,  
> but also constitutes a violation of Constitutional and human rights  
> and a continuation of colonial criminalization of Indigenous  
> cultural and spiritual practices.
>
> You will note that Section 13.03(1) of the BYSCC Operations Manual  
> requires that prison staff apply one set of leg restraints to each  
> prisoner participating in the Sweat Lodge Ceremony.  Given that  
> section 13.02 directs the Case Management Office to review and  
> approve prisoner participation in the Ceremony, it is particularly  
> excessive to then apply leg restraints to participants.  Under this  
> preliminary screening, surely those prisoners who pose a security  
> threat would be exempted from the Ceremony.
>
> The Sweat Lodge Ceremony is a sacred rite that has been practiced  
> by First Nations Communities as a spiritual cleansing and  
> purification for thousands of years.  We have attached a statement  
> about the significance of the Sweat Lodge Ceremony and the history  
> of Indigenous prisoner’s access to the ceremony within adult  
> prisons.  Indigenous young people’s access to the Sweat Lodge  
> Ceremony is not only a right under the Child Family and Community  
> Services Act but more importantly an opportunity for healing,  
> inspiration and to remedy some of the effects of colonization  
> including cultural genocide.
>
> The UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (Article 37) and the  
> Canadian Charter or Rights and Freedoms (S. 12) guarantee young  
> people freedom from cruel, inhumane, or torturous treatment/ 
> punishment within penal institutions. Pursuant to section 3(1)(c) 
> (iv), the Youth Criminal Justice Act, “measures taken against  
> young persons who commit offences should respect gender, ethnic,  
> cultural and linguistic differences and respond to the needs of  
> aboriginal young persons and of young persons with special  
> requirements.”   Further, the Youth Custody Services mission  
> statement articulates that youth must be provided a safe, secure  
> and humane environment that responds to their needs.
>
> A thorough review of youth correctional facilities in British  
> Columbia is long overdue.  It is clear that the use of shackles  
> during the Sweat Lodge Ceremony at BYSCC is unjustified, inhumane,  
> and discriminatory.  This demands a change in both the practice of  
> correctional officers and the BYSCC Operations Manual itself.
>
> We call upon you to immediately instruct BYSCC staff to cease this  
> abusive practice.  It is also incumbent upon the Ministry of  
> Children and Families to rewrite BYSCC policy to mandate that  
> absolutely no use of physical and or mechanical restraint or force  
> is ever used during the Sacred Sweat Lodge Ceremony.  We have  
> attached a policy revision that is necessary to address this very  
> serious issue.
>
> We would like to meet with you as soon as possible to discuss how  
> the Ministry of Children & Family Development intends to rectify  
> this human rights violation.  We also ask that you send us  
> correspondence indicating an immediate directive to the prison to  
> cease and desist shackling youth prisoners during the Sacred Sweat  
> Lodge Ceremony.
>
>
> Sincerely,
>
>
>
> _______________________________
> Jerry Adams, Executive Director
> Urban Native Youth Association
> 1640 East Hastings Street
> Vancouver BC
>
>
> _______________________________
> Annabel Webb, Advocate/Co-Founder
> Justice for Girls
> 606-825 Granville Street
> Vancouver BC
>
>
>
> _______________________________
> Dave Dennis, Vice President
> United Native Nations
> 110-425 Carrall Street
> Vancouver BC
>
>
> _______________________________
> Kelly L’Hirondelle, Executive Director
> Knowledgeable Aboriginal Youth Association
> 1607 East Hastings Street
> Vancouver BC
>
>
>
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