Advocates march for fair treatment of prisoners
- EFN Staff | August 13, 2017
A small crowd of walkers held signs as they marched down the road to the main entrance of the Regina Provincial Correctional Centre (RPCC) in honour of Prisoners’ Justice Day, which is celebrated internationally on August 10th.
Local drummers sang in a few songs followed by a prayer from elder Lillian Piapot. The solidarity walk is to pay homage and respect to inmates who had died from unnatural causes in the prison including suicide, murder and justice systematic violence both inside and outside.
Sherri Maier was one of the few walkers who came out to show her support to her fiancé who is currently in remand at the RPCC.
“He’s been in here since April, so he’s in there 21 hours of the day. He's only let out three times for one hour,” she said. “It’s hectic and tough, not just on him, but us as a family, too.”
Maier patiently waits for her partner’s trial in October where she hopes he will be coming home for good.
She said it was important for her to be a part of the international event to show support to not only her fiancé but other inmates on the inside as well.
“A lot of people think that it’s easy in there, but people need to know that it’s not an easy thing to go through,” she said. “What the families go through, being separated all the time, and visits are behind glass, and you have little contact.”
Bob Hughes, a member of the Saskatchewan Coalition Against Racism, said the group have been in contact with a few RPCC inmates about the event.
“They were looking forward to hearing the drums,” he said. “We’re trying to let them know there are people out here that are working in solidarity to try and make changes and to help bring some hope to people who are suffering severe depression from being separated from families and from freedom.”
Hughes said participating in this annual event is a powerful gathering.
“We hope to keep it going annually. It helps us focus on injustice issues and conditions inside,” he said.