The legal aid lawyers are often the ones who graduated at the bottom of their class. In some cases, the advice the accused will receive is 'I recommend that you plead guilty because I don't have the skills necessary to properly defend you', (but not in so many words).
What's worse is that sometimes an accused will follow advice to plead 'Not Criminally Responsible' to avoid a jail sentence. Instead they'll be sentenced indefinitely to the forensic unit in a mental health hospital.
One of my former students took that bad advice, in a case involving a minor assault. If he had done the jail time, he likely would have received less than eighteen months, and may have been able to serve the time on weekends. Instead of that, he spent more than ten years in Penetanguishene and CAMH, and although he is now living in a rooming house in Parkdale, he's probably still several years away from being fully discharged.
The CAMH foresnsic unit at Queen/ Ossington is a really horrible place. Many of the staff nurses are 'man haters' who feel that it's their responsibility to punish the patients who have dodged the penal system. Patients are NEVER served any meat - many of them spend most of their ODSP money on restaurant food during the first few days of each month, and I think they only get about $150 - $200 of their cheque as spending money, because food and shelter are included in their accommodations, (the same applies to people living in government-sponsored rooming houses, where meals are provided).
There is one forensic psychiatrist, (whom I won't name), to whom I gave the unflattering nickname "Josephine Mengele". She pretty much wants most of her patients to be required to take
Leuprorelin, which is a 'chemical castration' drug. I found the majority of the staff there to be dishonest, but they all cover each other's butts, even worse than the police do.
Don't ever make the mistake of thinking that CAMH is a benevolent institution with a sincere desire to assist persons afflicted with mental health disorders. The place is motivated by profit, and designed to keep patients within its walls for as long as possible.
One of the things which history has taught us is that whenever a group is given authority without accountability for the actions of its members, invariably that group will abuse that authority, because they can.
