updates

Since August, the wheels have rumbled! Staff at Matsqui finally completed the paperwork for the transfer to lower security. William Head Institution put pressure on them to get the transfer done before this week so he could take part in the framing course that is starting tomorrow. It is a lead in to the carpentry apprenticeship that he is transferring there to take.

He is there now for a week. Of course, his clothes and personal effects will take another month to arrive. He is happy to be near the ocean once more. It has been 17 years since he could listen to the waves crash and break.

I went to Victoria by ferry to visit him a couple of days after his transfer. Unfortunately, I was not allowed to see him as my visiting status had expired in October. That was something that does happen every two years, but I had put new forms in to Matsqui Institution in September after receiving a warning that it was about to expire. They lost the forms, but neglected to tell me. Now I have to re-apply and wait for approval. I filled in the forms while at William Head and turned them in. They lost those ones too. Go figure!

Since then, the framing course has started and Derik is not in it. They chose to put it available to only those who are to be released within the next 4 months. Since he does not have a date for his parole hearing yet, he has no release date. The system had to put off his parole hearing once again because the officer at Matsqui again refused to do any of the paperwork required.

He is learning to cook for himself and quite liking the freedom that entails. Once again, he is sitting and waiting. None of his personal effects have arrived yet. Likely will take another month to get them. He is surviving with the change of clothes and limited hygiene items he brought with him.

He is much happier despite all this as he is not under the same bullying constraints he had at Matsqui. The wheels of change roll so slowly that they appear to stand still.

http://www.canadianinjustice.com
http://www.hintsfromelouise.com