Persecution of Coutts Political Prisoners via Denial of Medical Treatment

Taking Alberta to task for being Trudeau's Henchmen

An unsung hero of the ongoing Coutts Political Prisoners story is Nikki Thom, friend and business associate to Tony Olienick, one of the remaining Coutts “2” of the Coutts Four prisoners, arrested on February 13, 2022, and who remains in custody, having been denied bail and yet to face trial.

Nikki has been tirelessly advocating on all four men’s behalf since day one, taking on what amounts to another full time job, doing the work of endless paperwork, emails, meetings, court appearances, and untold hours of legwork in assisting their legal counsel.

Today, Nikki has released a pretty substantial document which sheds light on the serious mistreatment of the Coutts men with regards to their health, as well as that of other prisoners who the Coutts guys have themselves advocated for. Delay, denial of treatment and medicine, and outright capricious disregard for the prisoners in their care seems to be SOP for Alberta Correctional Services and Alberta Health Services. When confronted about these problems, the usual bureaucratic finger pointing takes place, and I reckon we are going to see more of that should any investigation ever take place into what has gone on with this case. From the PMO, to the Incident Response Group, to the RCMP, to Crown Prosecutors, and to those in Alberta Correctional Services who, over and above denying necessary medical treatment to those in their care, put Tony Olienick and Jerry Morin into long periods of Solitary Confinement, accountability must be sought. When considering the political situation and context in which this case rests, it is pretty clear that these men are being railroaded to protect the last shred of legitimacy Trudeau might have regarding the imposition of the Emergencies Act, and it is within the realm of possibility that ACS/AHS are acting as persecution agents for the Prime Minister.

Nikki is not the first to point out the many problems within Alberta’s prisons, and the Coutts Men, held in remand for two years and yet to be convicted of the charges laid against them, in relation to the Coutts Freedom Convoy protest site, are not the first to have been abused within this system.

From the CBC -

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/public-interest-commissioner-ahs-wrongdoing-1.7006953

Tony Olienick and Jerry Morin are also not the first prisoners to be illegally held in solitary confinement. ‘Administrative segregation’ being one of these terms not unlike ‘enhanced interrogation techniques’, used to obfuscate perception away from the realities described by the more widely understood term.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonton/alberta-court-certifies-class-action-lawsuit-solitary-confinement-1.6526449

Pre-trial hearings for Tony Olienick and Chris Carbert resume tomorrow, and if my computer stops giving me trouble, I’ll have any available updates out as soon as I can.

I interviewed Nikki about these matters last year for my Voice Of GO(r)D podcast, and a link to that will be available at the bottom.

If you are new here, and are unaware of the Coutts situation, I will also link to more of my posts about it below the letter.


Here is Nikki’s letter, published earlier today.


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To Whom It May Concern:

Alberta Public Interest Commissioner

I have read the Investigation report by the Alberta Public Interest Commissioner dated on October 2023 and myself have deep concerns of abuse, negligence, and inadequate care from health care professionals, who are employed by Alberta Health Services (AHS). I find it staggering the lapses of care in these facilities, and I encourage anyone to contact Tom Engel (President of the CanadianPrison Law Association) as he has been seeing horror stories for decades. These are systemic problems going beyond one jail.

Tom states - “We’re talking about human beings dying, human beings suffering. I have received letters from all the men below stating their cases of inhumane treatment.”

This letter is on behalf of Anthony (Tony) Olienick, Chris Carbert, Chris Lysak, Jamie Bagu, Darcy Bowler, James Sowery, Shawn Fralick, Benjamin Robert Good Striker.

I have been granted permission to write this letter on behalf of all these men.

At all material times, His Majesty the King in Right of Alberta (HMTK), operated all provincial correctional facilities in Alberta including the Lethbridge Correctional Center (LCC), the Medicine Hat Remand Center (MHRC) and the Calgary Remand Center (CRC). At all material times, all employees and agents of the above-named correctional facilities were acting in the course andscope of their employment or contracts with HMTK and owned a duty of care to the men below, including a fiduciary duty, which duty included the following -

• To abide by the laws of Alberta and Canada including the Corrections Act, the Correctional Institution Regulation, the Peace Officer Act, the Health Care Protection Act, the Charter, and the Criminal Code.

• To abide by HMTK policies and procedures including the Adult Center Operations Branch (“ACOB”) policies and procedures:

• To ensure the provision and facilitation of timely and appropriate health care to the man or woman to the appropriate standard.

• To ensure the health and safety of the man or woman and;

• To prevent foreseeable harm to the man or woman

HMTK and AHS are vicariously liable for the conduct of all AHS employees and agents.

Anthony (Tony) Olienick, Chris Carbert and Chris Lysak



On or about February 15,2022 Anthony Olienick, Chris Carbert and Chris Lysak were transported to the Lethbridge Correctional Center (LCC), remanded in custody, and upon admittance to LCC, Anthony, Chris, Chris were incarcerated in the quarantine unit which was in place due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Anthony, Chris, and Chris, were incarcerated in the quarantine unit for approximately 14 days and during that period the conditions of incarceration were inhumane and cruel and unusual, in breach of ss 7 and 12 of the charter and in breach of HMTK’s duty of care to ensure the protection of the health and safety of Anthony, Chris, and Chris while in custody and care, and which included without limitation -

• 24hr lock up with the exception of two 10-minute periods of time out of his cell to shower, twice a week.

• Unhygienic and unsanitary cell conditions:

• No access to the outside or a view of the outside

• No meaningful access to mental health support

• No meaningful access to activities to pass the time

• Limited access to showers resulting in poor hygiene:

• Limited access to council: and

• Severely restricted access to friends and family.

Anthony (Tony) Olienick

Anthony is currently being detained at the Lethbridge Correctional Center. Anthony has spent most his two-year incarceration at the Medicine Hat Remand Center, he was first transferred to Medicine Hat on July 20/2022 from Lethbridge. In the past he has been transferred from the Medicine Hat Remand to Calgary Correctional facility to the Lethbridge Correctional facility for court proceedings. (Only the government can justify travel along two sides of a triangle rather than taking the most direct route, which would be directly from Medicine Hat to Lethbridge along Highway 3. - Gord) Anthony has a condition called SIBO, Small Intestine Bacteria Overgrowth. Anthony is also on a gluten free diet, which when consuming gluten, sugar, and processed foods causes Anthony to experience negative symptoms, including without limitation, nausea, headaches, constipation, diarrhea, eczema and other skin conditions, lethargy, dizziness, inflammation, weight loss, body aches and cramps. The medical condition is a physical disability as defined in section 15 of the charter. This has also affected his mental health. Anthony has been seeking help through health request forms through the facilities since June 2022. I have approximately 180 pages of health records for Anthony alone.

Anthony had been given a probiotic prescription from the physician at the Medicine Hat Remand facility in May of 2023. Anthony was then transferred from Medicine Hat to Calgary then onto Lethbridge for court in June 2023, and when he arrived at these facilities, he was denied his probiotic. His prescription from the doctor in Medicine Hat was valid through August 2023. Anthony had many health service requests asking why the denial of his probiotic, as he was suffering in pain in the health service request forms. The response Anthony received on the form states in the comments “Sorry the probiotic request is non-formulary and not approved”. Anthony at times went over a week with only eating one meal, trying to fast, so as to heal his guts. There were times where in a two-week period, Anthony only had a couple of bowel movements due to his poor health. July 26,2023, I had filed a complaint with AHS patient relations, I received a file number 138185. Anthony finally received a probiotic of 10 billion units on September 1. Anthony went from June to September with rapidly deteriorating health. Anthony’s records show that he was in pain seeking help almost daily and receiving no help. On June 13 Anthony's lawyer, Tonii Roulston,wrote a letter to the Lethbridge facility asking that her client see a doctor or nurse at the earliest opportunity to deal with his health concerns, and from the health records obtained Anthony did not see a doctor until Aug 15/2023. Anthony had also asked to see a nutritionist so he could eat healthy and try to manage his SIBO conditions, and he went so far as to ask the facility for an ingredient list. Nurses in the facility stated in health service request forms that “If he doesn’t like the food then don’t eat it”. He was also told by the doctor in Medicine Hat that the doctor would like to help him with getting a probiotic, but his hands were tied by the board above him. He recommended to Anthony that he try an anti-depressant and, in a month, to come back and if that didn’t work, he could maybe try and get him a prescription. Since when would you treat a gut issue with an anti-depressant? Anthony refused the anti-depressant, as he stated to the doctor he was not depressed, he has gut health issues. I have gone as far as cc the health minister in emails, Mike Ellis, Mickey Amery and a few news organizations which are still wanting to do a story on these men not being able to have access to proper health care. I called Danielle Smith’s office and spoke with her secretary and was told that I had created a conspiracy that these men would never be subject to having issues that AHS was very reputable. I was also told by AHS patient relations after speaking to them many times about Anthony that in a cryptic way they could no longer speak with me as Anthony’s case had become to high profile. Should It matter how high profile a case gets? The matter is this man was suffering harm and damage from not getting the medical attention that he desperately needed. Anthony has asked many times for magnesium citrate in his health records, there is much confusion in the nursing notes that magnesium citrate is non-formulary and some nurses in the notes say it is formulary. So, what is it? In the health records there is a Correctional Health Non- Formulary/ Restricted Drug Request form that was filled out for Anthony to receive a probiotic on May 10/2023, so why is it so hard to get a probiotic prescription renewed? Anthony was not asking for a narcotic or an opioid. You can purchase a probiotic over the counter with no doctor’s prescription so why are these being denied in these facilities? Before being detained Anthony had been treated by Dr. Shah, Naturopathic doctor for his SIBO with his condition drastically improving after treatment with a probiotic and magnesium citrate. She has written me a letter on how Anthony had been treated and what he needed to take to improve his health, so why was this ignored? As of a couple months ago the prescription that Anthony has been given has not been working, since then he has been writing health service request forms again to try and see a doctor to get a higher dosage and proper probiotic for his condition. His health issues are on the rise again. This is very alarming when a person that has not been to trial and ought to be assumed an innocent man, has been denied access to proper health care. I had called the Alberta Human Rights Commission to speak about Anthony’s health concerns, and was then told by the Alberta Human Rights Commission that they do not deal with standard of care, that this is not in their scope of operations. I also called the Ombudsman, and they directed me back to AHS. Anthony, after a year and a half advocating for this health, finally got a proper probiotic and magnesium citrate. At all material times at LCC, MHRC and CRC, AHS failed to meet the standard of care required to treat Anthony’s medical condition. The doctor had stated to Anthony “If we give you this, are you finally going to shut up?”

Who audits these facilities? How often are audits done? Who reviews these audits? Who Audits AHS in these facilities? If this is happening to one man, how many others is this happening to? Do MLA’s ever visit these sites to see if they are complying? Does OH&S ever do audits or investigate these facilities? Do these facilities ever get random audits? I would like to know if these facilities are following policies and procedures? Anthony has stated to me many times “I don’t know if I’m going to make it out of here alive”. There have been several days he has been so sick in court he didn’t know how he was going to make it through the day.

Anthony had a gout issue in his foot first reported April 7/2022. His second request for help was April 24/2022. During this time, he was unable to walk and had to get his cell mate to bring him food. He stated to me “Thank god I have a good cell mate to bring me some food or I would starve.” On May 18/2022 Anthony put in another request that his gout issue was still ongoing.

Anthony has sent me back a copy of the canteen list, if you were a person with SIBO or a person trying to live a healthy lifestyle, there is not a damn thing on that canteen list that is healthy. In Anthony’s case with SIBO, you try and stay away from sugar which stimulates bacteria growth in your gut. Almost everything on that canteen list contains sugar. Why are these facilities not trying to promote people to live healthier lifestyles? Anthony buys some of the products off the canteen list so he can trade or barter for healthy items that people do not eat at mealtimes. Vitamins have been a big problem for these guys to order, many times they can’t get them as they are out of stock. When Anthony goes to court, he is placed in segregation for 22 hours at a time, sometimes lasting two weeks per time. Anthony has probably spent close to 80 days in segregation. When you are locked up for 22 hours a day, lack of movement, health care and no vitamins? Vitamin D plays an important role in a person’s health. When you have no access to sunshine, I would hope that a person could at least have access to good quality vitamins. This has been a big problem. I have spoken with Ian Leylond with corrections in Edmonton, and he had agreed with me that this list does not promote healthy living and that he would forward a request to look at making some changes. I have attached a brief few pages of Anthony’s health records and have the reports if you would like to access all the records.

Anthony has been detained for a little over two years, he has asked to see a dentist to get his teeth cleaned and checked. The Health Service Request form states “Only urgent and emergent dental care is provided while in in a remand facility. More dental care can be provided in federal facilities or seek care when you return to the community. When you go to Alberta Health Services site, its states “Visit your dentist at least once a year”. We all know your oral health is directly related to your gut health so why is it impossible to see a dentist? When you are being held in a remand facility for two years and not by choice for when a trial date is, you can’t have access to dental care? Are there no policies and procedures for dental care? Are there not policies for people being held for longer periods of time?

When Anthony had been sent to the Calgary Remand Center, he spent most of his time in segregation. Anthony stated many times the cell conditions were inhumane, including without limitation because, (1) the cell smelled of urine and had feces on the wall, (2) the cell was excessively cold, (3) Anthony was not given a proper mattress or pillow to sleep on, all of which was humiliating and degrading to Anthony, in breach of the Defendant and Canada’s duty of care to ensure protection to the health and safety while in custody, and which was in breach of ss.7 and 12 of the charter.

When Anthony has been placed in segregation in Lethbridge for periods at a time, he has been placed in the health care unit many times, which have been cruel, inhumane, and also in breach of the charter.

• Excessive lock up with little time permitted outside his cell

• Little to no access to the outside or to view the outside

• No meaningful support to mental health support

• Severely restricted access to family and friends

• Little to no meaningful human contact; and

• Exposure to distressing and traumatic incidents including witnessing other inmates with mental health challenges engage in behavior such as screaming for hours on end, hallucinations, banging, and so forth, which also resulted in having difficulties sleeping.

This resulted in foreseeable physical and mental suffering.

Chris Carbert

Chris Carbert is currently being held in the Lethbridge Correctional Facility; Chris has been detained since Feb 14,2022. The council for Chris had sent a letter to the Lethbridge facility on June 22, 2023. Chris was served a 5 day old egg salad sandwich that was witnessed. The client was also suffering from gastrointestinal issues at that time. Stated in this letter, they can advise that this is not based solely upon the client’s report, the lawyer saw the sandwich that was provided. Why are these men being served 5 day old egg salad sandwiches? The lawyer was trying to minimize lost court dates due to the client being sick. Who over sees the food in these facilities? How does a 5 day old egg salad sandwich with black lettuce get past food services? Who oversees the departments in these facilities, that inmates are not getting sick from rotten food being served? There is no excuse for this. Chris has been stating the mattresses are in poor shape, ripped, torn with no tags. I’m sure these facilities have mattress standards, how are standards being met when there are no tags to see when the lifespan of the mattress has been met? It has been reported that the back shed in Lethbridge has new mattresses to the roof, so why are people being allowed to suffer on mattresses that are being used past there life cycle? Chris had a wisdom tooth that was exposed, the tooth came out of the gum. Chris was seen by the dentist several months after he first had asked to see a dentist. Chris had the tooth pulled, he ended up with a canker sore on the bottom side of his tongue the size of this thumb nail. Chris had his tongue swell so bad after the tooth was pulled, when he opened his mouth, you could see his teeth marks in his tongue. The pain in his tongue was excruciating. It was six days before Chris could talk, he had only eaten once in six days. Chris has sent health service requests for his tooth and for the pain in his tongue, and was also asking for a numbing agent to help control the pain. This caused Chris intense suffering for six days, as he was in unbearable pain, could not talk with his mother or family because he could not speak.


Chris Lysak

Chris Lysak was being detained in Lethbridge but has since been released, though suffered with unattended health conditions while remanded. On Oct 27/2023 I had to call AHS patient relations also and start a case file 141511. This time patient relations would not speak with me, so I made an appointment for Chris to contact them. Chris has a torn rotator cuff that needs to be reassessed, he is experiencing numbness from his elbow down into half of his right hand, especially in two fingers from nerve damage. Chris is an electrician by trade so how is this going to affect him long term?

Will he be able to have full movement in his hand after nerve damage not being treated for this long? The doctor had recommended to Chris that weights or an elastic band would help with his rehabilitation, the Lethbridge facility does not have these options available. This has been ongoing for 23 months; I am very concerned of the long term affects to Chris’s body from lack of treatment. Chris has bone on bone pain in both his knees. Chris has stated to the facility doctor that he needs his pain reassessed due to his pain medication not working. Chris was having severe pain in both his knees. Chris has been having injections in both knees, but the injections were not keeping his pain in check. Chris has been seeing Dr Ryan Martin (Orthopaedic knee surgeon) from group 23 Medicine Clinic in Calgary. Chris would like to have a follow up appointment with his surgeon. When Chris had wrote a health service request form, he was denied seeing Dr Ryan Martin. I called Dr Ryan Martins office and arranged an appointment myself since the facility would not help. Chris was able to speak to Dr Ryan Martin about proper treatment for his knees, and how to manage his pain. The medical doctor at the facility had offered a doctor in Lethbridge, Chris was asking for a follow up appointment since this was the doctor that had been treating his knees. The facility doctor had recommended that Chris use a stationary bike for rehabilitation in regard to his knees, the facility did not have a bike. How would one try and rehabilitate his knees with no option to do so? The facility offered no help, so I took it upon myself to start making calls and emailing and finally we got a bike that the facility already had, and put it back in use for Chris. If there was no one to advocate for Chris to get a bike back in the gym, would he have got one? I highly doubt it. It took me many phone calls and emails to get help. Chris is 6’4 and 315 pounds, his mattress was 2 1/2 inches thick and only fits to the length of his ankles. Chris wrote to the facility requesting to get a new mattress to fit his body stature. The facility stated to Chris this is an AHS issue not a facility issue. Chris then contacted AHS patient relations and we had a file number started, they responded to Chris that they would get back to him in two weeks. Two weeks to get an answer on a mattress? When you have health problems, and the mattress does not even fit the length of your body and you have numbness and knee problems? Why is a proper mattress even a question????? Why has Chris gone 23 months without a proper mattress??? Chris has stated to me that the rating on the mattress is for 290 pounds max. His current mattress does not even have tags to look for this ratio. This is total madness. I worked for AHS for 15 years and I know there is protocols for mattresses, why are these not being followed?? Are there any policies and procedures for inmates of Chris stature that need a mattress to fit his stature? Is this not a form of torture when Chris is having shoulder, elbow, hand, and knee pain, and he can’t even get a proper mattress? To this day we were unsuccessful at retaining Chris a new mattress.

Chris is a master electrician and to keep in compliance he needed to take a proof of code update course; for this course Chris would require a book and a calculator. This can be done by correspondence. Chris wrote the facility to see if he could take the course. The facility wrote back to Chris stating they don't offer these services. There were no services to be offered. The books can be ordered and paid for, shipped to the facility with a calculator. We can make sure there is no metal binding on the books, we can have a solar calculator that the staff can take when Chris is not using it. Inmates are offered the use of an iPad, why could this not be accommodated? Once again, I took it upon myself and made some calls and started emailing; lo and behold the facility honoured Chris request and he got him books. Again if no one would have advocated for Chris to get his books to take his course, would he have eventually gotten his books??? I doubt it.

Why do some facilities in Alberta offer courses and others don't? A person should never lose their right to education. These facilities are all provincially run, why are no elected officials getting involved in making sure a person’s right to basic health care and education are being held up? Are these not constitutional rights? Chris was also having troubles ordering vitamins, lately they have been in short supply? Junk food is not in short supply, but vitamins are??? Chris likes to live a healthy lifestyle also, how is this being done? These medical conditions were causing Chris harm and damage. Who oversees that AHS is following proper procedures in these facilities under contract? Why were his rights to basic health care being denied??? This is very concerning that this is happening in our country. I do know there have been lots of people calling to get these men the proper health care they need. I have also contacted the Alberta Human Rights Commission and the Ombudsman in regards to Chris health and I got the same run around as I did with Tony. The Alberta Human Right Commission states they don't deal with standard of care, it is out of their scope of operations. The Ombudsman sent me back to AHS. WHY??? No wonder an inmate cannot get help, I have spent months advocating for these men’s health and I still can’t get them all the proper necessities.

Since Chris has left the facility on March 27/2024, he had a nerve conduction study done. During the visit he was told that the nerve bundle in his right elbow has come out from under the tendon that protects it, it now must be fixed through surgery. He has an appointment with the surgeon on May 7/2024. On March 6/2024, Chris had his first visit with his GP doctor to get back on the medication that had been refused to him by the AHS staff at the Lethbridge Correctional Facility. On March 20/2024, Chris had an appointment with Dr Ryan Martin about the status of his knees. Dr Martin showed Chris how he had been compensating for the pain and lack of physio, and this had caused atrophy in his muscles. Chris is now going to physical therapy to regain strength in his knees. Chris will have a follow up appointment in three months with x rays for his knees.

Jamie Bagu

Chris Carbert is on the same unit as Jamie in Lethbridge. One day Jamie was in such medical distress that he needed medical assistance immediately due to chest pains and high blood pressure. Chris went into action and made a call out to our friend to get the public to start calling the facility to get Jamie help. The phone lines lit up and finally Jamie got some help. Only with the public engaged did Jamie receive help that day, because the public eye was put on the facility. Where were the medical staff? Why did Jamie only get help when the public pressure was put upon the facility? I give Chris so much credit for taking it upon himself to help another man in distress.

Jamie Bagu is a 52-year-old man with no criminal record being held at the Lethbridge Correctional Facility. Jamie suffers from a history of high blood pressure. Jamie suffers from a back injury from an automobile accident 25 years ago. He suffers with nerve pain in his back and into his left leg. At the police station Jamie suffered another injury to his back which aggravated his nerve damage. When Jamie arrived at the Lethbridge Correctional facility, the physician had initially refused to give Jamie any medication for his back. At the start of the third month Jamie had been prescribed gabapentin, which helped right away with the nerve pain. When Jamie had first arrived at the facility, the diet he had been given caused gout in his left foot, which had added to the pain he was already having with his back. Jamie did not receive any medication for gout for two months. Jamie has extremely high blood pressure and after two months of hell and excruciating chest pain, Jamie had been taken to the hospital. The last time Jamie was taken to the hospital he had been given potassium by an IV drip as his potassium was low. Jamie has stated he has been to health care many times to try and get medical attention. Jamie has reported to me that his blood pressure has reached dangerous levels 198/130 and 208/130. One of those times when Jamie’s blood pressure had reached dangerous levels, Jamie was at supper when his blood pressure had been taken, the nurse took his blood pressure and walked away; at that point Jamie thought it was important that he go to the hospital with such a high blood pressure. On the third trip to the emergency room, Jamie had severe chest pain and extremely high blood pressure. The doctor had stated to Jamie, he had done blood work and confirmed to Jamie that he had a small heart attack. Jamie stated an older bald guard with a mustache went to the nursing station and got into an argument with the nurse that had been treating Jamie. The nurse had stated “I am not prepared to go down that road, I don’t care what he did”. The nurse came in and gave Jamie some medication, the doctor had stated to Jamie he did not have a heart attack and was released from the emergency department. Jamie was transferred back to the Lethbridge Correctional facility still having chest pain and offered no further medical treatment. Jamie has stated when he was taken to the hospital the van parked in the parking lot, not close to the front doors, shackled and only being able to walk four inches at a time, and with severe chest pain the unnecessary extra walking only worsened it. After six months the physician had arranged an appointment at the heart clinic for Jamie. It took the physician 2 months to tell Jamie he had heart troubles. Dr Villar told Jamie on a conference call Jamie would need an angiogram and possibly an operation. At eight months Jamie finally had an angiogram, Jamie is now at 11 months and has no report from the doctor on his angiogram. Jamie as he writes me this letter still suffers from chest pain every day. Jamie has recently written letters to his dad, wife and son, telling them things he would say if he was going to die in jail. Jamie has lost 70 pounds since being incarcerated, also losing a great deal of muscle mass. Jamie is now on a large medication regime, which is causing major side effects. Jamie wakes up in the morning in pain and goes to bed in pain. Jamie is currently sleeping on an old worn-out mattress, which is escalating his health problems. He states there is no help at the Lethbridge Facility. The heat has been off most of the winter and his cell is freezing cold. One inmate got pneumonia and was taken to the hospital for two weeks as a result of a cold cell. The windchill was -38C one night and no heat. What kind of human would treat anyone like this? When Jamie had filled out a form to ask for heat, it always comes back that Alberta Infrastructure looks after maintenance, and they can’t help him. “There is no help in here”, Jamie states. Jamie has said this is a government institution and it needs change. Once a month they get strip-searched and the cells get torn upside down, with beds flipped over and all the extra blankets are taken away. Most of the time Jamie must beg to get a blanket back. Jamie states “I never thought in a million years, I would be begging for a blanket any place in Canada”. The poor living conditions multiply your health problems and make your life not worth living. Jamie states “The problem is, I know this is the best remand unit in Alberta here in Lethbridge. Other remand units in Calgary and Edmonton lock inmates up for 23 hrs a day like caged animals. Alberta needs a serious upgrade in its attitude towards all human beings. Constantly stripping us of our clothes and being forced to hold up our balls, as if that is reasonable to anyone. It is morally degrading and inhumane.” The stress of this gives Jamie high blood pressure and chest pains. Jamie tells his wife he is one search away from a heart attack and he’s not joking. Jamie states there are good people that work in these facilities, and he is very thankful for that. When you are in jail your legal issues and health issues go hand in hand. The physician in Lethbridge has not seen Jamie in months, despite the fact of having heart troubles. The details from Jamie’s angiogram have not yet been disclosed to Jamie, the angiogram was three and a half months ago. Jamie states he has lost 70 pounds “I am dying in here and there is nothing I can do about it”. The bones in his back are sticking out, now his arms and legs look like his mother’s did when she was dying of cancer. The remand is so bad Jamie states “I often wish I could just die”.

Yes, this is prison, but he has not been found guilty of any charge. Jamie states “I will continue to try hard for the sake of my family but even with the treatment from the psychiatrist (who is generally a nice man) my mental state is degrading along with my body. I am in constant distress”. Jamie suffers from PTSD that has been diagnosed by the center’s psychiatrist and is currently being treated with medication. Jamie’s wife is currently in the process of filing paperwork to access Jamie’s medical records

Darcy Bowler

Darcy is currently being held at the Lethbridge Correctional Facility. Darcy wrote me a letter worried that he would die in this facility due to lack of medical treatment. Darcy’s leg started out red and inflamed, he had shown other inmates his leg and they have turned away because it was swollen, shiny and his right leg was double the size of his left leg. Darcy’s leg continued to get bigger and bigger over the course of days, other inmates were also asking health care to look at Darcy’s leg with no avail. Inmates were telling Health Care someone should look at the infection in Darcy’s leg, it’s going to kill him. As the infection became worse in Darcy’s leg, the worse Darcy felt. Darcy has stated to me, he has put in many health request forms to have his leg looked at and nothing was done. Darcy stated he could hardly walk. This is a statement from Darcy “It wasn’t until Saturday the day we could buy hobbies. I don’t even hardly remember that day I was so sick and out of it. I remember getting down there handing in my card then laying on my back and looking at the ceiling because I could not hold my head up anymore”. The guard working that day probably saved his life. He stated, “Bowler go get your hobbies and you’re going to health care”. Funny how health care will listen to a guard but will not follow up with Health Care request forms. Darcy stated “I couldn’t breathe right, I was so dizzy, I had hot and cold sweats, and vision was blurry”. Darcy states he wishes he would have a walker, that how bad his condition is. Darcy’s skin is dry and cracking all over his body, he has cracks on every fingertip, his heals and feet are cracked and bleeding. Even where his ear meets his cheek it is cracked and bleeding. Darcy has blisters on his eye lids from an allergic reaction from his medications for seizures. Darcy approached the nursing station for an information sheet on the medication he was taking. It stated on the medication information slip a list of adverse reactions, Darcy thought he should stop taking the medication with the symptoms he was having. Darcy brought this to the attention of the nurses, and he didn’t expect to hear the response he got. “Oh, I should have not given you that sheet, every medication says the same thing. You will be fine”. Darcy stated to the nurse he has blisters on his eye lids, he could not breathe right, he could not sleep. He stated to the nurse “Do you really think I should be taking this medication”. The nurse then got angry and said she was busy, hurry up and stop being annoying. Darcy started requesting to be taken to the hospital and have a second doctor’s opinion. Darcy fears the nursing staff, he has asked for band aids for his fingertips, they either yell at him or they find the smallest band aid they have. Is there not a procedure if an inmate comes to the nursing staff with inquiries from the package insert of a medication that it be addressed by the doctor, rather than ignored? This is alarming to say the least.

Darcy states he rarely sees a doctor only nurses. The doctor finally came to see Darcy, and gave him a physical exam, the guards vouched for him, he was in tears, he was in so much pain. The doctor looked at the the MRI and saw that Darcy needed pain management. Darcy stated he had been getting injections into his spine. The doctor ordered another MRI, and something caught his attention; the doctor stated he needed to see an upper spine, and had a concerned look on his face. Darcy had been taking Tylenol 4 for 20 years prior for a prior injury. Darcy had a work-related injury back on June 22/2020. Darcy fell three stories, the muscle that attaches the spine to the hip was totally detached and now has an irreparable spinal injury. He was taken off the medication cold turkey. Darcy has had two suicide attempts while in custody. He states ”I don’t want to die, I just can’t take this pain anymore, this is pure torture”. No one should have to live through this pain and suffering. When Darcy was arrested, he had told police he suffered from a spinal injury and a mental illness. Darcy was left in a cell from 10am-2am where he ended up having a seizure and his mental illness caused him to injure himself.

I have attached a letter from Julien Pierre Muise PHC APA dated April 8/2024. This letter confirms the grave situation Darcy is in, lack of medical treatment, and I strongly suggest that Darcy’s condition is urgent as he has had suicide attempts due to his lack of treatment for pain. How is there confusion on Darcy’s records that he has an allergy to codeine when he does not? Darcy has been having trouble urinating with lack of flow and no treatment.

I struggle with the fact Darcy has been writing Health Service Request forms sometimes multiple times a day, and he received a letter from Kathy RN, Nurse Clinician stating that she has reviewed his requests to health care and have noted there are often several a day, some of which are previously addressed concerns. Due to the high volume of HSR’s we will be collecting them and responding once a week in health care if they are of this nature. Should anything emergent arise, you can contact the unit CO and we will address this concern. I have questions, if Darcy is writing Health Care request forms this frequently, he is doing so out of concern for his health. Why are his issues not being addressed? Is this some form of punishment? Are proper protocols being followed within the facility? Has no one ever addressed the issue why two suicide attempts from pain mismanagement? This is unnecessary human suffering. What long term damage to Darcy’s physical and mental will come of this? This man is crying out for help.


James Sowery


James Sowery has been detained in Lethbridge since January 29/2024, but since been released. James has a high metabolism and was starving. James had to stop going to the gym because he was losing weight. Meals are cold, portions are small, and weekends only consist of two meals a day. Why on earth is a man starving in this facility? Are proper protocols being met in regards to the cooking of the food? I know if this was in a restaurant this would not be satisfactory? Before the pandemic put upon the people, Inmates were cooking the meals in these facilities, why has this been stopped? Why would a man facing a 10-month sentence for running over a pylon be starving? James also has a fractured C7 facet from a previous injury. Once again, the mattress standard comes up, this has been an issue with all of the men I have been writing to you about. There are no certification tags on these mattresses, these mattresses have rips and tears. There is no guidance when these mattresses are past their life span. I would like to know the proper protocols on mattress standards, should people not be given a tear free mattress? This mattress is causing immense harm and damage to James, as he was waking up with head aches, pains and discomfort.

James states in his letter that visitation is limited to his family and friends. Conditions in these facilities are already less than ideal. Phones packages are paid for by the individual. Phone calls have been dropping at the 15 min mark, normal paid calls are 20 min in length. Phones are hard to hear through. James feels these matters caused him harm and damage to his physical, mental, psychological wellness.



Shawn Fralick (1582073)



Shaun Fralick had been taken to the Lethbridge Correctional Facility on September 13/2023. In November/2023 Shawn had noticed one of his teeth had broken. It had started to cause Shawn a lot of pain when drinking hot or cold fluids. Shawn had written into health care that he needed to see a dentist for his tooth. They prescribed him pain medication and stated to Shawn he would be on the list to see the dentist. Shawn waited until March 5/2024, to see a dentist. On March 5 Shawn saw the dentist and the dentist agreed that the tooth needed to be pulled. Shawn said the dentist had to pry and pull to try and remove the tooth. At that time Shawn’s mouth had been frozen. The dentist was unsuccessful in trying to get the tooth out and he had to use other tools; Shawn stated it was like he was using a hammer and chisel to try and extract the tooth. Mid way through pulling the tooth, the pain was so intense, Shawn had to ask for more freezing in his mouth. The dentist had given Shawn more freezing and then started trying to pull the tooth again. The dentist then needed an x ray to see why the tooth would not come out. The dentist stated to Shawn his roots for his tooth were fused to his jaw. After the x ray the dentist worked on Shawn’s tooth again and the tooth finally came out. Shawn stated it took approximately two hours to pull his tooth. The next day Shawn was eating and had chunks of hard bits falling out of the hole in his mouth. Two days later Shawn was suffering in pain from the tooth extraction. Shawn stated he was taking a sleeping pill at night and the pain was so bad the sleeping pill would not work. Shawn stated the pain was an 8 out of 10. On day four Shawn was rinsing his mouth with with salt water and a chunk of skin the size of a pea fell out. Shawn showed his roommate Tony the pea size piece that fell out of his mouth, so Shawn had a witness to what happened. On day five Shawn was no longer able to have his pain prescription, Tylenol three. Shawn had written a health service request form to state that he was still in need of painkillers for his pain. Shawn did receive more Tylenol 3 for pain. Shawn stated the nurses stated he was being rude, but he said all he was asking for is more pain medication. Shawn stated he was supposed to see the dentist on March 14 and he went down to health care and the dentist never showed up. March 19 was the first check up with the dentist after Shawn had his tooth pulled, the pain as per Shawn’s statement was still 8 out of 10. Shawn at this point was taken off the Tylenol 3 and given 400 mg of motrin. Shawn continued to write health service request forms since his pain was still out of control, he was not getting his health service request forms back from the staff. Shawn was also stating that his mouth was still bleeding, he was having chunks of skin falling out of his mouth, and the tooth beside the one he had pulled was now loose. Shawn also stated when he looked in his mouth and around the area where the tooth was pulled, he could peel down part of his gum and he could see his root being exposed in his gums. When the dentist looked at Shawn’s tooth in his check up the dentist stated to Shawn the hole was bigger than what he expected, but the dentist figured it would heal. Shawn stated to the dentist that it had been two weeks, he was still experiencing a lot of pain and he was still having bleeding in his mouth. The dentist had flushed Shawn’s mouth, stated his loose tooth would tighten up over time. Shawn was started on Amoxil 500 mg 3 times a day and was to rinse with chlorhexidine twice a day. At this point the medication was “killing my guts” Shawn stated. On March 23 Shawn stated that his mouth was still bleeding, he was having a lot of pain, and he had a piece of tooth fall out of the hole that his tooth was pulled from. Shawn wrote on this day in the letter “Please lord help me god”. On March 24 Shawn had been seen by the nurse in health care, he had told the nurse how another part of tooth fell out, that he was still in pain and his mouth was still bleeding. Shawn stated how his guts had been hurting from the medication. The nurse asked Shawn if he could buy any probiotics on the canteen? Shawn said no, “I only know one guy who gets a probiotic in here.”



Benjamin Robert Good Striker



This is a letter from Benjamin’s mother. -


This is an exceedingly difficult letter for me to write. I lost my son Benjamin Robert Good Striker on December 29th, 2023 due to an opiate overdose at the age of 35.

My son Benjamin was born Nov 26th, 1988. In August 2016 he used cocaine for the first time and landed up in the hospital due to what the Dr’s thought was a self-induced psychosis. It turned out that he had become schizophrenic.

I have been working with people who suffer from mental health, addictions and chronic homelessness. Having the experience working with mental health issues I was able to watch others with schizophrenia and knew what I would be expecting my son to go through.

Benjamin worked full time, was a husband, a father of 4 and was with his family 24/7. Benjamin’s life was forever changed when he entered Rocky View Hospital in Calgary. Benjamin started to self-medicate in September 2019 with Meth. Just as a I thought he would eventually from watching and learning from my clients, between then and the time of his passing he was using Heroin and Fentanyl.

Benjamin started stealing and doing whatever he could to feed his addiction. To this day I do not know what landed my son in, Lethbridge Correctional Institute in December 2023. My son was in jail for a week before he was able to contact me and tell me where he was. I bailed him out the day he called me.  

After arriving home, he told me that they would not get him the medication he needed for his Schizophrenia, and he was almost giving up and wanted to die due to the voices in his head. Benjamin also showed me his thumb and how swollen his hand was. Benjamin told me that they would not even let them see a Dr which he needed for both his schizophrenia and his infected thumb.  

I brought Benjamin to the Emergency at Lethbridge Regional Hospital. Benjamin was in a great deal of pain and was given an IV of antibiotics due to the infection. Benjamin was told that he needed to return to the hospital daily for what was a week for an IV of antibiotics.

I took pictures of Benjamins thumb which are attached. If Benjamin did not get a hold of me when he did and went without medical treatment, he would have lost his hand or committed suicide, having to go without his Schizophrenia medication.

I asked my son why he did not tell them he needed to see a Dr for his schizophrenia medication and his thumb. Benjamin said that he did tell them over and over, but they didn’t care. This made me terribly upset that my son had to suffer the way he did without getting the medical treatment he needed.

The reason I took pictures of my son’s thumb was because I was going to make inquiries with a lawyer and ask what should and could be done about this legally. 

  Benjamin started taking his Schizophrenia medications as soon as he got out but he was in a very bad way already from having gone without them for a week and they didn’t seem to have their usual effectiveness.

The last day I and his kids seen him was on Xmas Eve at my elderly mother’s house. We took pictures by the tree with his 14-year-old daughter, Lexus and soon to be 10 year old son Benjamin Jr. Benjamin was supposed to come to Calgary with me and the kids to spend Xmas together but I noticed he was using opiates and he wanted to stay in Lethbridge.   

Benjamin called me on Benjamin Jr’s birthday, December 26th. Benjamin was clearly upset and paranoid. I asked him if he was taking his medications and he said yes but the voices were total control saying he went too long without his medication.

I told him that I would be back in Lethbridge on Friday December 29th and would look for him because he said that he was no longer at my mom’s. Me and Benjamin Jr got to Lethbridge at almost 10pm. A cop showed up around 1030 PM to inform us that Benjamin my son, my baby, had passed away.

Since that day my life has not been the same and this is my first time dealing with anything regarding my son, Benjamin.  

I have had a number of emotions over this time period but one that hurts the most is that my son was not given the medical attention that he has a right to. My son

Benjamin suffered from the time he went into jail and dying on December 29th.   People from all levels of society have issues for whatever reasons but should not be treated like they are subhuman and denied medical attention just because they did something illegal and find themselves incarcerated.

Gabor Mate’ talks about Trauma and Addictions and why people do what they do and only someone with compassion can understand. Obviously, the people working at the Lethbridge Correctional Institute have no idea what compassion is and treat inmates like they mean nothing, that their lives are worthless. My son suffered more than anyone can ever know. Benjamin could have died from the infection in his thumb. I blame the jail for my son’s death. Benjamin should have been given the medications that have been prescribed for him by his Dr. They did not listen to him when he asked for medical help. This is acceptable and something needs to be done about what happened to my son and all the other inmates who are being ignored when requesting help for whatever reason they need it.

Kristen First Rider, mother of the late Benjamin Robert Good Striker, Nov 88- Dec 23

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In my opinion an investigation into these matters needs to be conducted. These are grave concerns. A mother has just lost her son, she will grieve the loss of her son the rest of her life. The pain and anguish all these men have suffered. I recently had a meeting with three local MLA’s Grant Hunter, Nathan Neudorf and Chelsea Petrovic. I had left them with a package of health records from Anthony Olienick and Chris Lysak. They directly spoke with Chris Lysak in regards to the poor health conditions he had suffered and the immense pain it has mentally caused him. I have written to the health ministers office, and I have never received a response back. I have asked my local MLA to contact the health minister’s office in regards to my claim. The minister’s office replied they had spoken to me but that was not true. I find these issues very grave that people are being treated so inhumane. Long periods of segregation, this is torture. People’s rights to health care should never be violated 

Recently I have received letters from other inmates on questions that need to be answered. 

-There should be public transparency on number of codes called and charge sheets issued year to date? Example codes 66/ code 44/ codes 99 Code 99 Health Emergency, Code 44 Officer needs assistance, Code 66 Inmate on Inmate violence

-How many hospitalizations/ Deaths from improper health care a year? -3 people are being “Triple Bunked” in a space 8x12 for 20-22 hours a day, this space includes a toilet, sink combination with no privacy. THE SPCA USES ONE CAGE PER ANIMAL!!!! We don't treat our animals like this, why are they being treated like this????

-Why are some men going without pillows??? Anthony has gone without a pillow for long times in Lethbridge and Calgary.

-Inmates are to be provided with a rip/tear free bed mattress, most of the mattresses are old and worn out, is there a manufacture life cycle on these mattresses and are they being followed????? Weight restrictions for mattresses? Can there be a plan of action provided to address this immediate urgency, facility audit or public trustee inquiry? Why are inmates suffering with worn out mattress past the life cycle of the mattress??? This needs to be investigated immediately. Are policies and procedures on mattress being followed???? As in Chris case there must be proper protocols for height, weight of inmate that AHS uses???

-Policies on lock up, administrative segregation, “the hole punishment” lock up times during a regular day 2 zones/4 zones/8 zones and one zone.

These Pictures below are the pictures of Benjamin Robert Good Striker offered by his mother, he never got treatment for his thumb. Unfortunately he is no longer with us to tell his story.

Sincerely, Nikki Thom

You think maybe this might require some attention?

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As mentioned at the beginning, you can hear an interview I had with Nikki about this issue from last year -

Recent Substacks on Coutts Four Political Prisoners situation -

If you would like to assist with ongoing legal expenses (and mounting legal debt) for the men, you can donate at this GiveSendGo -

https://www.givesendgo.com/trudeauspoliticalprisoners


Thanks for reading, and for caring. If you live in Canada, do us all a favor and send this to your Member of Parliament, and if you are in Alberta, to your local MLA.

You can also help defeat the wall of silence around this case in the Canadian Media by sharing this as far and wide as you can, via email, group chats, or whatever social media you use.