And don't just take my word for it...take my hospital room-mate's, a former Crown Attourney of over 30 years. He was called to the Bar of Ontario in 1975 one year after me.
One night during my recent 10 day stay in hospital he said to me - you know when I was sending offenders off to jail during my career I often wondered what it would be like to have to go there myself. "Having now stayed several days in hospital, during Covid, I believe I have some idea".
I told him it was funny that he had said that since the idea had also gone through my mind too as a retired lawyer who did some defence work during my career.
We both agreed too that it might have proven helpful if part of our training had included a stay in a crowbar hotel.
Our conversation then went on to list what we saw as the similarities:
- Close confined quarters;
- Meer curtains to provide a semblance of privacy. You quickly learned everyone's diagnosis including whether they had a successful bowel movement withing the last 24 hrs;
- We could not leave the floor;
- There were no telephones nor t.v. nor radios permitted;
- There was lights out;
- And no visitors...even inmates are allowed visitors;
- No choice in meals - you got what was sent - for instance, I was served room temp tea 2x per day irrespective of the fact that I do not like tea...coffee is my weakness. One patient mentioned that he knew for a fact that prisoners in provincial jails were being served the same food as us and here I thought all they got was bread and water....in thinking about it, maybe that would have been preferable;
- Lights came on a 6 am. so no sleeping in. Good thing we were put to bed early.;
- You were powerless - constantly told what to do and how to it;
- Beds were seldom made...you did it yourself and sponge baths ever given. You had to ask for a towel to shave and wash yourself....I could go on but you get the idea.
Anyway I guess with my recent hospital stay I can now truly say I do have some idea of what it would be like to have spent some time in jail.
So, dear reader, I can now mark that off my Bucket List !
As I See It...
'K.D. Bell'
