AND IN THE MATTER OF A DECLARATION OF CAPACITY WITH RESPECT TO BRANDON CREWE
To read the entire decision, click here (downloads a PDF).
A letter to the editor published in the November 15th edition of the Halifax Chronicle Herald:
Need a plan
How is it that Brandon Crewe is deemed to be well enough to be in prison, but incapable of deciding whether or not his remaining testicle should be removed (Nov. 12 story)? He didn’t even know he was in hospital to have his testicle removed until hospital staff told him (while he was chained to his bed) that they didn’t need his consent. Given this scenario and the entire context of this case, it is little wonder that Justice Mona Lynch noted he was in a "fragile state." Surgery may ultimately be warranted, but the process seems to be seriously flawed.
According to research, treatment and support of inmates who are mentally ill in Canadian prisons is sub-standard, and sometimes almost non-existent. Canadian prisons have become warehouses for a growing number of mentally ill due to funding cuts and closures in community facilities. Prisons are dangerous and destructive places for people with mental illness. This research is in the hands of people who are able to make decisions to change this tragedy. We hear of the need for more money for public safety and for health care, but the link between the two is seldom discussed.
The tiny window opened by The Chronicle Herald gives a glimpse into the worry and frustration experienced by Mr. Crewe, his family, medical staff, justice staff, etc. If you added up what it costs to try to deal with Mr. Crewe’s present situation, it would probably make more sense to put just a fraction of that toward a well-thought-out plan to deal with mental illness. Most importantly, people like Mr. Crewe would have the kind of care he truly needs.
Heather Johannesen, Halifax
