Regular Updates on Jean

Regular Updates on Jean-Serge :Brisson - a natural person of commoner status, a "political prisoner" in "debtor's prison"......

The sign at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre state that inmates can receive visitors between 9:00 AM and 11:00 AM and from 1:30 PM until 4:00 PM from Tuesday until Sunday. The sign indicates that visitors must sign in with two pieces of identification. On my first visit I was not asked to show ID, on the second visit I was asked for one piece of ID. Each inmate can receive two visitors at one time for approximatley 15 minutes. I inquired about leaving some printed information for Jean-Serge: Brisson. I was advised that I could not do that and that I could send him mail by the regular postal service.

I encourage Jean-Serge: Brisson's friends and supporters to take the time to visit him if possible and/or to mail him letters of support. If you are visiting him you might be advised to call first to see if he can receive visitors. I went there on the morning of Tuesday, November 7th at 9:00 AM and I was told that I could not see him until the afternoon visit. No explanation about why??

When I returned home, I telephoned the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre 613.824.6080 Ext. 200 and asked to speak with Superintendent, Michael Côté. After waiting for some time the receptionist asked me the reason of my call and she transferred me to Operational Manager, Michael Wood who never came to the phone. After another lengthy wait she transferred me to Mr Keating, Deputy Superintendent of Operations. He advised me that he could not give out any information and that I would have to communicate directly with Jean-Serge: Brisson. I will return for another attempted visit this afternoon.

In the meantime here is the mailing address for Jean-Serge: Brisson. Do mail him your letters of support today.

Jean-Serge: Brisson
Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre
2244 Innes Rd.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1B 4C4

Here are the contact names at the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre that I have compiled as of this date:
Superintendent, Michael Côté
Operational Manager, Michael Wood
Deputy Superintendent of Operations, Mr. Keating
Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre
2244 Innes Rd.
Ottawa, Ontario
K1B 4C4
Tel: 1.613.824.6080
Fax: 1.613.824.1297

I have just returned from visiting Jean-Serge at "debtor's prison." I assured him that I has given his 3-minute speech at the All Candidates meeting in Russell on Tuesday evening, November 7th. I also confirmed that I had talked to a lawyer friend about helping with his Appeal. Ginette Bertrand, the DRO from Russell Township telephoned today to inform Jean-Serge that the Municipal Act of 1996 states that he cannot be a candidate in a municipal election if he is in jail. This legislation has changed since 1991 when John C. Turmel ran his Mayoralty campaign from his cell in the Hull jail. Apparently, there is some chance that Jean-Serge can be released if a lawyer helps him file a Notice of Appeal. This will be looked into on Thursday, November 9th.

When I entered the "debtor's prison" today I was told by the guard at the door that Jean-Serge was only permitted two visits per week and that I could not make another visit until next Tuesday, November 14th.

In a conversation with a woman (in the visitors' area) whose husband was an inmate, she told me that her husband had told her that he had information that the Ottawa-Carleton Detention Centre was now a private operation and no longer under the control of the Ontario Government. Does anyone have information about whether this is a fact?

Dave Brown wrote about Jean-Serge: Brisson in his column "Brown's Beat" in the Ottawa Citizen on Wednesday, November 8th, 2000. Click here to read the column.

I was not permitted to visit Jean-Serge at "debtor's prison" yesterday BUT he did telephone me. He informed me that he had communicated with a lawyer and that he (the lawyer) would serve a Notice of Appeal on the court in L'Orignal on Friday, November 10th. Upon serving the court the Notice of Appeal, Jean-Serge expects to be released from "debtor's prison."

Emails continued to drop into my email box today from supporters from all over Canada and the USA. Here is an exerpt from an email from Jack in New Hampshire:

*******************************************************************************************

----Original Message-----
From: Jack <jshimek@ijaq.net>
To: Tom J. Kennedy <tom@cyberclass.net>
Date: Thursday, November 09, 2000 6:01 PM
Subject: Re: Jean-Serge :Brisson

Sorry to hear that Jean-Serge is in the can, but I will do all possible to promote letter-writing to him from people on my list. Please also let us know where to send financial support for his legal appeal. Also, let us know if there is an email address
for him (not likely, I know).

Also, what things can we mail him (magazines, books, etc. - I know I enjoyed doing a lot of reading when I was in) and
which things are forbidden.

Can we send money for his commissary account?
Can we send it in US funds or does it have to be Canadian?

Should we send mailing supplies: stationery, envelopes, stamps? It will hard to get Canadian stamps from here, so maybe
you guys can get more stamps to him. Can we send him pens and pencils?

I think I will call the jail superintendent and ask him all these questions myself. I may encourage a phone-calling campaign
from all over America just to let them know that we all know they are holding him there and that we are watching.

*******************************************************************************************

Tom Van Dusen wrote about Jean-Serge: Brisson on page 2 of The Ottawa Sun on Thursday, November 9th, 2000.
Click here to read "Locking Up Support"

Councillor's Name	Number of Votes
Marion	2272
McHugh	2162
Goyer	2040
Scott	1965
St. Pierre	1714
Faucher	1531
Brisson	1297

Jean-Serge: Brisson did not win a Councillor's seat on Russell Township BUT he did secure 1297 votes from his campaign office at his cell in debtor's prison. To read Jean-Serge's After-Election Message click here...

Jean-Serge: Brisson is released from jail. Though, his lawyer, Michael Swinwood filed the Notice of Appeal on Friday, November 10th, it took another twelve days before the Crown released Jean-Serge: Brisson from jail. Jean-Serge's Appeal is scheduled for April 2001. To read Jean-Serge: Brisson's Appeal as prepared by Michael Swinwood click here ...

Thursday, November 30, 2000

To read the article "Man Picks Lock-Up Over Buckle-Up" by Kelly Egan in the Ottawa Citizen on Thursday, November 30th click here ...

To read the article "Jean-Serge: Brisson - Renegade With A Mission" by Mary Anne Thompson in The Prescott-Russell news on Thursday, December 21, 2000 click here ...

Jean-Serge: Brisson was a guest on Peter Warren's Radio Talk Show from CKNW NewsTalk AM 980 Vancouver from 5:00 PM until 6:00 PM.