Indigenous man wins human rights settlement after jail denied request to practise spirituality – CBC

Anthony Peter-Paul filed complaint after he was prohibited from smudging while in jail

Mar 20, 2017

The Department of Justice and Public Safety and its jail in Shediac have apologized to a former Indigenous inmate who was denied access to traditional native spiritual services, such as smudging.

Anthony Peter-Paul was incarcerated for 16 months, first in Saint John, then at the brand new Southeast Regional Correctional Centre in Shediac for a break-and-enter in 2011.

He asked to practise native spirituality, such as smudging, and the request was denied because the newly built jail couldn’t “facilitate.”

Read More: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/human-rights-indigenous-jail-inmates-1.4029245