Ashley Smith, 19, prison inmate commits suicide by hanging herself in her inmate as guards watched

from cbc news: http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2010/01/07/ashley-smith-fifth-estate.html

CBC has obtained dramatic footage showing New Brunswick teenager Ashley Smith, who died in prison in 2007, being pepper sprayed and about to be jolted with a Taser in her cell during the almost four-year period prior to her death.

The video, which will be broadcast Friday night on CBC's The Fifth Estate, was shot by prison staff in New Brunswick and provided to the program with guards' faces obscured and their voices altered.

Smith, who committed a series of minor offences, spent from 2003 to 2006 in two New Brunswick correctional facilities before ending up in a federal women's prison near Kitchener, Ont. She died of asphyxia with a ligature around her neck in her cell in October 2007 at the age of 19.

Her case prompted a probe by New Brunswick's ombudsman and federal correctional investigator Howard Sapers. It also drew widespread criticism about how young people suffering from mental illness or severe behavioural disorders are dealt with by the prison system.

A fellow prisoner in New Brunswick said Smith deliberately provoked guards and repeatedly pretended to choke or strangle herself by wrapping things around her neck. When guards responded, she refused to comply with their orders.

The video shows guards physically subduing her, spraying her with pepper spray and preparing to shock her with a stun gun.

"Ashley was Tasered twice in the space of one month," provincial ombudsman Bernard Richard told The Fifth Estate. "Repeatedly, that was the response to her behaviours.

"I think someone should have clued in that this girl required much more professional help," he said.

Richard said the youth centre superintendent decided to transfer Smith to a federal prison, partly because "without question, they were at wit's end," but also out of a belief it would be better for her.

"They, I think, really felt that she might be able to get more help in the federal system," he said.

After Smith was transferred to the federal prison system, she continued to defy guards and used broken glass to cut strips from her prison gown and tie them around her neck.

Jason Godin, Ontario president of the guards' union, said when guards would go to her aid, they were sometimes attacked.

Godin said guards were eventually told by their superiors not to enter her cell to remove ligatures from her neck.

"Our members were told not to enter Ashley Smith's cell until she stopped breathing," he said.

"There was daily direction given, right from the highest levels of management all the way to the front-line staff that 'You are not to go in the cell. This is your orders,'" he said.

Smith was seen with a ligature around her neck on Oct. 19, 2007, but guards delayed entering her cell until it was too late. She was pronounced dead at 8:10 a.m.

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[craig8754]

@donnarosanna Having been in prison maybe I can enlighten you a little. Are there people who deserve to be in prison w/o a doubt. However 99% of the guards are on a power trip. As far as medical attention its minimal at best. They treat you as if you're not human regardless of the crime. I was put in the hole twice for picking on child molesters who were treated better than a white collar criminal by the guards.She was acting up because they were abusing her trust me.

[0n0iR]

@NeutralExistence Well said! though I have this theory that jail is in fact an attempt to train you to be more socially acceptable. They get you used to listening to orders, being on a schedule and since they have been jailed they cant pursue much of anything once out (a jail record does nothing but destroy someones life) so it leaves what? Dead end job waking up at 5 in the morning and being compliant and making them their money =)

[KestrelKid1]

who fucking cares. We have bigger problems on earth. Less scum on the streets. Weening out the sick, weak, and bad. Today is such a beautiful day ....sigh. Sun is Shining, birds are singing ! Enjoy your life in Hell bitch.

[hellsblaze666]

Thats prison!!!!!!!!!!! Its sad she took her own life, but the conditions didnt kill her. She did it all to her self.

[Haevenn]

Well for you people screaming " she did break the law!" Missing the part where she commited suicide? Yeah she deserved to be in prison for breaking the law but not to be used as anyones punching bag, im sure the guards "im on a power trip so im gonna abuse you just cuz i can" attitude is what made hers worse.

[Ensconced69]

LOL this is what is wrong with America..not Obama not Bush not Dems vs Repubs..it's that people feel sorry for freaking law breakers.....obey the law and guess what, no issues...I'm a liberal but good grief when will we stop taking up for those who do not give a damn.Keep your nose clean, get a job, pay your taxes, be honest, be good...no problems..so sick of people in prison screaming civil rights...you lost those rights the day you broke the law..live with it

[Ensconced69]

@craig8754 ....while I do not condone abuse of people, in prison or otherwise, when you do things that land you in prison, you have renounced your "rights"...I'm sorry dear but prison is not your country club to get out of being a responsible human being, getting your 3 squares a day etc...when you did the crime, you gave up your rights..Obey the law, be a citizen of some standards and guess what??? no prison, no abuse...I have no empathy for anyone in prison (once proven they did the crime)

[meg5730]

I can't believe this happened in Canada...

[CowboyBebop44404]

@craig8754 yeah, thats because a lot of the prison guards ARE child molesters

[NeutralExistence]

@0n0iR

They do quite a bit of aggressive "brain washing" as in the military, yelling orders repeatedly, depriving the inmates of sleep, depriving them of heat, giving them to much heat, filling their cell up with pepper spray etc...

It beings to "crack" people, and is certainly no place for a teenager. However she had it quite easy in reality, the MKUltra trials have proven that there has been extensive abuse among the mental illness, and youth facility's in "America".

[motowannab]

@poopoocoffeecan they didn't let her die, she committed suicide, they weren't standing at the cell door watching, they were doings rounds. so dont even try to use that, they weren't doing there job horse shit.

[MajorCholoReyes]

@1GanjaSmoker what does being american have to do with anything asshole communist