May 23
No, But If You Hum A Few Bars, I Can Probably Fake It
Salon: (You need a “site pass” —by clicking on the featured ad—to read the article in full.)
Free from handcuffs, but under the watchful eye of guards, the two brides wore street clothes during the ceremony, which was performed by a minister. The Mrs. and Mrs. inmates’ names were not released, but one is serving a 34-month sentence for breaking and entering, assault with a weapon and aggravated assault, while the other has been doing six years hard time for manslaughter, assault and assaulting a peace officer. The wedding night was reportedly chaste, since the prisoners must continue to sleep in separate cells. But both brides are scheduled to be released by the end of this year, on Nov. 18 and Dec. 6, respectively.Not everyone involved in the wedding shed tears of joy. The Canadian prison guards’ union opposed the match. “It’s the value and ethics of getting married in jail while they’re serving time together in the same institution,” said Kevin Grabowsky, president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers. “It’s not Club Fed, where you go and meet your spouse.” He raised theoncern that the union might cause security problems; for instance, if the couple had a “marital spat,” or if one spouse had a dispute with a guard, the other might try to exact revenge. Talk about a killjoy. C’mon, Grabowsky, lighten up, it’s a wedding! Also, haven’t you ever heard the one about how love will find a way?[emphasis mine]
Two female inmates, who married in a quiet ceremony in January at the Edmonton prison – the first time a same-sex marriage was held inside a women’s prison – have endured a stormy relationship right from the very beginning, said Grabowsky.And when the pair get into squabbles, like the one that left one of them suffering a swollen eye, the other takes out her frustrations on the guards, he said.
Guards have had a door slammed in their face and have had profanities hurled at them, he said. The inmates have also smashed up appliances and broken windows.
CSC offered the women counselling to get through their rough patches and the warden even played Yagtzee [sic] with the pair to ease their tensions, Grabowsky said.
But nothing has seemed to work.
Not even Yahtzee? That never fails to tranquilize me. It’s like Thorazine in a dice cup.
“These two feed off each other,” Grabowsky said. “If one does something to piss off the other, we’re the ones who take the heat.”Separating the pair by sending one to another institution would put an end to the situation, Grabowsky said.
It was when all else failed that guards at the jail hoped one of the pair would be transferred.
But when the Correctional Service of Canada balked, 14 of 15 guards at the jail asked for transfers out of the maximum security cell block where the female inmates live in different cells.
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