In my book, “Poor Man’s Justice,” I revealed the Correctional Service’s vincictive revocation of my parole in 1994. The maniplulation of the documentation that was manufactured is highlighted in my other posts, and shows the reimprisonment was a vicious act that arose out of the system’s contempt at having its authority challenged. Taken from my returned institution, I was transfered to the Matsqui Prison, where, stripped naked and placed in the hole, I was then driven off to Correction’s Canada’s Regional Psychatric Center in Abbotsford, British Columbia.

It was there that the strength I needed to survive surfaced. Realizing the abuse would never end unless I gave into correctional service demands, I shed my last tear, determined that I would no longer play the game being asked of me that would gain my release. I had an end date, the fall of 1995. A little over a year away, I made a quiet promise to myself and the kids that I would endure the system’s abuse to the end. With my new found strength on full display, this time, instead of a “Quiet Conversation,” the last meaningful interaction between myself and correctional staff took place in a board room inside RPC, (Regional Psychatric Center) in what turned out to be; “A Not So Quiet Conversation.”

What I am going to reveal is the closing confrontation I had with Corrections’ Canada after weeks of reports being written to justify their reasoning for the revocation of my parole. The depth of those documents are exposed in Chapter 16, titled; The Profiling of an Inmate, (Poor Man’s Justice)

Participants in the room: Dr. Caldis, (RPC Psychiatrist) and Mr. Soon, (Correctional Social Worker) There were three additional attendees, a ward supervisor, a recreational director, and a lady who indentified herself as my Case Manager. (A staff member who I had never had a conversation with, but had seen around the institution) Both the ward supervisor and Case Manager’s names are unknown, and are identified in Poor Man’s Justice with an (*) attached to the fictious name.

Case Manager…”Mr. Mitchell, this is a meeting by your case management team and doctor to review your assessment here a RPC,” said the lady, “We have Dr. Caldis’s report and he will now give us some insight into it, and the results of the discussion I understand he had with you about it. 

Dr. Caldis’s response...“Mr. Mitchell and I have discussed the report and it is really just a preliminary report. Mr. Mitchell asked many questions about parts of it he did not understand, and I cleared some of that up with him and we are going to discuss it some more…Mr. Mitchell has been very cooperative and we have a good working relationship.”

The case manager winced, then turned to the recreational director and asked about my participation in activities at the institution.

Recreational director…”Mr. Mitchell has been a pleasure to work with. He has participated in both indoor and outdoor recreational activities and has demonstrated a willingness to be helpful to the other inmates, and shown good sportsmanship.”

“Thank you,” said the case manager, turning to face me. “Mr. Mitchell, my concern is with your actions during parole. Your counselor said you used that time to harass your ex-wife and plot revenge!” The self-described Case Manager’s statement is of course untrue. We know this lie was fabricated by corrections and parole as shown previously, and now might be a good time to highlight what the counselor being referred to actually said to me while being interviewed for “Poor Man’s Justice.” (Note: After the interview, he documented his response to the Justice System’s allegation, and handed me a copy:)

Kennedy Counselling Inc.

counselling and human service consultants

Bobbi Kennedy M.A.

Kevin Kennedy M. Ed.

Alison Masters, R.N., M.N.

June 6, 1995

TO WHOM IT MAY CONCERN

To the best of my knowledge, I have never stated to anyone that David Mitchell “plotted revenge” on any individual or segment of the population.

He is concerned with what he perceives to be misinterpretations and possible injustices in his relationship with society and the Justice System in particular, but he has always maintained to me that it would be his intention to pursue these issues through court process.

Kevin Kennedy

(Signature placed here)

Kennedy Counselling Inc.

[The justice system’s lie regarding allegations of harrassment and plotting revenge while on parole, as we see, was manufactured using my community counselor as a source of legitimacy for my reimprisonment.]

Back to RPC:

“Both those allegations are false,” I answered the case manager politely, “and I think you know it.”

“Let me tell you something, mister!” the lady screamed. “Your practice of denial has been well documented! There is a well-documented history of several physical assaults against your ex-wife! And do you continue to deny that as well?”

Another lie by the justice system and corrections: As highlighted in family court documents and “Poor Man’s Justice,” the children’s mother stated there had been only one slap and a push in the near twenty year relationship and marriage.

“There was one slap, and a pushing incident in the seventeen years of marriage,” I replied calmly, “If your going to sit there and accuse me of something, then be specific. I will be more than happy to respond.”

“I don’t have to be specific!” she yelled, “It’s written down in every report I’ve seen!”

“Well, tell me what you’ve seen written down and I’ll respond.”

“Mr. Mitchell, the reports repeatedly confirm the ongoing physical abuse of your wife, and I don’t need any more than that! If I were your wife, I’d be terrified of you!”

At this point, Dr. Caldis, alarmed at the direction the meeting was taking, brought up a phone call he had engaged in with my ex-wife. “I did talk with Geri Mitchell, and she confirmed to me what Mr. Mitchell has said. She mentioned only two incidents that happened early in the marriage, a push and a slap.”

The doctor’s interruption quieted the case manager and she turned to the ward supervisor for his input, “Mr. Mitchell’s behavior on the ward has been exemplary, ” the man answered from across the table. “He has never been confrontational or threatening, and has demonstrated a willingness to be helpful to others on the ward.”

At this point, there was only one other individual in the room who had yet to speak. Mr. Soon, the social worker who had been sitting quietly throughout the exchanges: His sharp tone grabbed instant attention as it quieted the others in the room; “Let me be blunt and come to the point, Mr. Mitchell!” said the social worker, “We don’t like the way you continue to attack the system and the people who are just trying to do their jobs. If you were to step back and stop your denials about everything that is written, stop the attacks and confrontational attitude that you continually display, I can guarantee you that the reports would be much more positive, and you could find yourself out of these institutions and back home.”

Taking a breath, Mr. Soon raised his voice to make his point; “In short, Mr. Mitchell, we don’t want to listen to, or hear any more about your feelings towards the justice system while you are incarcerated. You can deal with that any way you like when you get out.”

I looked at Mr. Soon, and knew immediately who had the power in the room, not unlike the social worker who had written the forensic report: My response was calm and direct; “…My understanding from what you just said is that you people do not wish to discuss my feelings in regard to the abuse and dishonesty that has gone on in this case…And you want me to deal with it when I get out. Have I got that clear?” I asked.

“That’s Right!!” snapped Soon.

The shocked look on Dr. Caldis’s face said it all. As the head of an institution designed to deal with feelings and emotions, to be thrown under the bus by a correctional service social worker, who was exhibiting power beyond that of his own was hard to swallow, but swallow he did. “Well, I think what Mr. Soon is saying, uh, is what you and I talked about. If you accept in good faith what people write, and accept in good faith what your ex-wife says about her fears, then the confrontations that arise out of your objections to the written reports will disappear. And that is what the reports will ulitimately reflect.”

“Its all been said then,” injected Mr. Soon, “There is nothing else to add. That’s all Mr. Mitchell. You can leave, and I suggest you think about what I said, and let us know your decision.”

Days later, after refusing to sign a disparging case management report, on its heals, the Ferndale Institution recommended that I be confined to higher security, Transfered to the Matsqui Prison on Aug 16, 1994, I fullfilled my assigned duties, and on Sept 15, a month later, Dr. Caldis arrived at the institution and called me into a private meeting. His final assessment was worded carefully, but failed to hide the conflict between his conclusion and his struggle with correctional service authority…”It is not the writer’s opinion that at the present Mr. Mitchell should be detained. As to whether parole suspension should be continued or not, (Remember, Ferndale case management had shown me a letter that indicated my parole had already been revoked) although the writer does not feel Mr. Mitchell constitutes a high risk of reoffending in a violent way, this was not a unanimous feeling amongst our treatment team [case manager and social worker.] All agree that suspension at the time was necessary and therapeutic.”

At the end of our session, Dr. Caldis assured me that he felt I should be released.

A few days after seeing Dr. Caldis for the last time, I was escorted into a conference room inside the Matsqui Institution and confronted by a dozen correctional staff, including a new case manger by the name of Thelma Graham. I had never heard the term…”Gating.” (Holding a prisoner beyond their statutory release date, which at this time, was set for six months before my warrant expiry date of November 1, 1995) Seated and surrounded by staff on both sides of the table, I was ridiculed for attacking the justice system, chastised for challenging its integrity, and finally, threatened.

“There, doesn’t appear to be enough substantial evidence for the board to gate you…at this time!” said the most vocal voice at the table.

At the end of the meeting, my telephone access was restricted to one call a week, and I hunkered down in my cell and continued to work on my book and write in my diary:

…Wed Jan 4/95 10 pm:

“Today went slow and it seemed like kind of a ‘blah day. I sure miss that second call to the kids. With four months to go to my release date (statutory release) I am also beginning to wonder what this system will do to emotionally abuse me before that date. I am trying hard to prepare myself for it, but even knowing it is part of the incarceration and would be consistent  with how case management works, it is still difficult to accept, and it hurts. I hope it is not something that will also hurt mom and the kids some more.”

That abuse I was thinking about during this entry into my diary, came by way of a comment that I was being sent to the “Shew” in Prince Albert, said to me a day before I was transfered to to the Elbo Lake Minimum Security Camp in the Fraser Valley, where I stayed until my release on May 5, 1995, six months before my end date on November 1st.

With freedom drawing near, book interviews now became my focus, some of which we will highlight in upcoming posts.  Coming soon!