Sask. mother says her intellectually disabled daughter was handcuffed instead of helped

A Saskatchewan mother is upset with the justice system after her daughter, who has an intellectual disability, spent more than a month in jail, and was later transferred to a psychiatric centre.

Barb Stuckey lived her worst nightmare when her daughter Jessica Stuckey, who lives with a genetic chromosomal abnormality called Smith-Magenis Syndrome, was sent to Pine Grove Correctional Facility.

“Terrified. I didn’t know if she was going to get beat up, or worse,” Barb told CTV News in an interview.

Barb said the 24-year-old has lived on her own in Melville since 2018, with the help of community support programs, but when the pandemic hit, those resources moved online.

Jessica’s lawyer, Deanna Harris with Legal Aid Saskatchewan, said Jessica needed human connection, so she started calling the police multiple times a day.

“Even-though people would tell Jessica she isn’t allowed to call police unless it was an emergency, she still persisted on calling, because the police were respectful to her,” Harris told CTV News in an interview.

She said Jessica made threats that she didn’t mean. Harris said her behaviour escalated when her mental health support workers told her there was no funding to send her to a support program in Regina.

Jessica threatened to kill her support workers and was charged with two counts of uttering threats and mischief over $5,000 for misusing public resources.

“I truly didn’t believe she would end up with criminal charges, being a criminal, for something she cannot help,” Barb said.

“Mentally she did not develop past the age of six or seven,” Harris said.

“Essentially a child put into the adult correctional system.”

At a hearing in Yorkton, Jessica was denied bail and sent for psychiatric assessment, but the beds in the nearest psychiatric hospital were full.

Jessica was sent to a remand centre in Prince Albert, which raised concerns from inmates and staff at the facility, according to advocate Sherri Maier.

Maier is the founder of Beyond Prison Walls Canada and often communicates with the inmates at Pine Grove.

“They saw the fear in her.”

“They all just came together, this like a kid in jail, she doesn’t belong here,” Maier told CTV News.

Barb said this situation could have been prevented if her daughter had the support of a group specializing in her needs called Creative Options Regina (COR).

“People are referred to COR through the Ministry of Social Services — we operate at full capacity and any new growth in service is dependent on new funding. The demand for our support services continues to grow each year,” COR CEO Micheal Lavis wrote in a statement to CTV News.

In a statement, Bob Martinook, the executive director of community living and service delivery with the Ministry of Social Services said he could not comment on the specifics of this case, but said, “We want Jessica Stuckey and her family to know we understand their concerns and are here as a support.”

“We partner with third-party service providers across the province to provide residential services, day program supports and comprehensive behavioural supports for persons with intellectual disabilities,” Martinook said.

Currently, Jessica is in a North Battleford psychiatric hospital after being found not criminally responsible.

“Now she’s stuck at the psychiatric hospital, which is designed to treat people with acute psychiatric illnesses, not genetic syndromes,” Harris said.

Barb said this situation has taken a toll on her family.

“It’s upsetting, very upsetting. Not where any parent wants to be,” she said.

Jessica is scheduled to appear in front of a provincial review board to determine fit for release on Jan. 13.