Cedar on Nostr: Prisoners in CNCC organize against collective punishment! We recently received a ...

Prisoners in CNCC organize against collective punishment!

We recently received a report from a prisoner on the max unit of the Central North Correctional Centre in Penetanguishene, ON, that the administration has removed most hygiene products from cantine. This means that prisoners there no longer have access to shampoo, conditioner, deodorant, antibacterial soap, or body wash -- all crucial for staying clean in the cramped, dirty conditions of a provincial prison. At least two Ontario prisoners have died of infections in the past year, so keeping clean can literally be a matter of life and death.

The administration's pretext is that some prisoners had used the plastic packaging to make weapons. But even if this is true, punishing hundreds of prisoners for the actions of one or two people is totally unacceptable.

In response to this overreach, around 80 prisoners on the max unit have signed a letter to the CNCC administration calling for access to these hygene supplies to be restored. This kind of mass self-organization is all too rare in Ontario's provincial prisons, and when it occurs, it deserves outside support. 

For now, you can help by spreading the word about the admin's actions and the prisoners' response, but stay posted, because more calls for action might follow.