Oakalla

Oakalla

History

Dr. Guy Richmond, the first full-time prison physician appointed in British Columbia, spent his years as Senior Medical Officer of the BC Corrections Branch through the 50s until the late 60s. There he described the decrepit conditions of Oakalla, and in particular, Oakalla's hospital section, which consisted of one section devoted entirely to active cases of tuberculosis, a first-aid office, a small room for violent and insane inmate, a dressing-room, a kitchen, and an attic full of mostly heroin addicts.

Many of the areas of the prison lacked adequate safety standards. Cells in the basement, which at the time were used for solitary confinement, contained steam pipes that made living conditions intolerable, lacked frequent supervision by gaurds, posed fire hazards for inmates, and were infested with rats.

A new "disciplinary" unit was built in 1954 to house the more "disturbed" inmates, and consisted of a bare cell without a mattress, a single bucket for sanitation, and a strict diet of bread and water. Inmates in these units were at greater risk of committing suicide. During this time Dr. Richmond witnessed at least one suicide, one attempted suicide, and two deaths and one case of blindness resulting from anti-freeze intoxication. During the next two to three years of his stay at Oakalla, Dr. Richmond began development of a rudimentary infirmary, in which he installed a portable x-ray machine, a dark room, a dental office and a laboratory. One of the old spare rooms was converted into an operating room, using a leaky steam sterilizer and surplus medical equipment to conduct circumsicions, hernia repair, and other regular operating procedures.

Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, plastic surgery was instroduced to the prison as a means of studying the effects of minor corrective operations, such as rhinoplasties, on improved self-esteem and offender rehabilitation. Dr. Lewison, the pioneer of this novel idea, conducted research into how malformities or disfigurations exacerbated feelings of inferiority and low self-worth.

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This is a new discussion board seeking contributions from correctional employees, past inmates,  and  anyone significantly connected to Oakalla.
We welcome any new contribution, including personal thoughts, future directions, criticism, comments, responses, commentary, proposals, discussions, awareness campaigns, or anything else you think is significant to this prison.