'I'll duct-tape your face,' Ashley Smith warned; inquest sees troubling videos

'I'll duct-tape your face,' Ashley Smith warned; inquest sees troubling videos

TORONTO - The haunting protests of a now dead teenager filled a coroner's courtroom Wednesday as surveillance videos were screened showing the troubled inmate repeatedly tranquilized against her will or being threatened with having her face duct-taped.

The disturbing images of Ashley Smith — finally released after a two-year fight — showed the 19-year-old at several points in the run-up to her October 2007 choking death in a prison cell in Kitchener, Ont.

"Ow, it hurts," a hooded Smith yells at one point as prison guards duct-tape her reddened hands to an airplane seat.

"Trust me: I am calm," she says in a thin voice at another point, as guards threaten her.

The airplane video, from April 2007, shows Smith's transfer from a Saskatoon prison, where a supervising guard had assaulted her by bashing her head into the floor.

http://home.mytelus.com/telusen/portal/NewsChannel.aspx?ArticleID=news/capfeed/national/20609289.xml&CatID=National

I wish that more people could share their stories of what occurs in there. Ashley is safe from the repercussions of publicity now.

Public safety minister suggests Ashley Smith not a victim

Read more: http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/public-safety-minister-suggests-ashley-smith-not-a-victim-1.1027124#ixzz2BZDTgEkW

From the article above:


Smith, who was from Moncton, N.B., was first arrested at 13 for assault and causing a disturbance. She continued to find herself in trouble for making harassing phone calls and pulling a fire alarm, then was first thrown in jail at 15 for throwing crab apples at a postal worker.

Okay, I will admit as a teen I made harassing phone calls, I opened library doors that set off a fire alarm (I didn't realize it though...) But then I did it AGAIN.... AND I threw a LOT of crab apples, but just into the street, not AT a postal worker......................

eva wrote:
Public safety minister suggests Ashley Smith not a victim

Read more: http://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/public-safety-minister-suggests-ashley-smith-not-a-victim-1.1027124#ixzz2BZDTgEkW

it is a two edged sword... everything is for political rhetoric.. there are not enough victims rights and there are not enough rights for those incarcerated. In some cases there are too many rights for those incarcerated. For me the coin never really stops moving/turning... there is no equal and fair treatment in all cases.

Ashley Smith death ruled a homicide by inquest jury
The Canadian Press, National Post Staff and Postmedia News | December 19, 2013 | Last Updated: Jan 25 6:40 AM ET

The death of a young woman who strangled herself in a segregation cell was a homicide, a coroner’s inquest jury ruled today, who recommended that seriously mentally ill female offenders not be held in prisons.

The homicide verdict in the case of trouble teen Ashley Smith – which lawyers for her family and prisoner advocates had pressed for – indicates that the actions of others contributed to her death, but it is not a finding of criminal or civil liability.

Smith, 19, died six years ago after guards hesitated in rushing to remove a ligature the troubled young inmate had tied around her neck because of orders from senior management not to intervene as long as she was still breathing.

Smith’s family and others had urged jurors to return a homicide verdict because of that order, which they believed significantly contributed to her death.

They are calling on authorities to criminally investigate those who issued that order.

Read more:  http://news.nationalpost.com/news/canada/ashley-smith-death-ruled-a-homicide-by-inquest-jury