Do Your Own Time

I've said it a hundred times and I'll keep saying it, we don't all stay in prison. Escorted and Unescorted Temporary Absences are common and part of the process. These are important for the public and inmates alike to understand. These are not arbitrary absences, they are earned. If you are headed to or know someone in prison, these are extremely important to obtain in the pursuit towards day paro...

When do we really stop to consider what goes on behing the walls? When do we actaully peel back our justice system to this very important layer and really look at how it functions in its role? What really is the societal role of prisons in Canada? Welcome bacm to Season 4, this episodes explores what we are getting, or should be getting, when it comes to our prison system. I also examine the lates...

Welcome to this special episode of Do Your Own Time. Recently CSC began a series called Shift where they explore the Canadian prison system and give you a look inside. I am giving you my perspective on what they are saying, comparing it to what I experienced. Some audio clips were sourced from the CSC YouTube video and were used in the making of this episode. To find the original video in its enti...

After parole, it's time to rejoin the world. A lot needs to go in to preparing for that, for me it was a steady pay cheque. Prisons do have jobs and training opportunities for inmates to help them succeed after release. Some are practical, most, sadly, are not. If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not share your name or handle without your permission.   We can...

We sit down with parole lawyer Simon Borys and discus the subject of a parole hearing. If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not share your name or handle without your permission.  We can be found on Instragram and TikTok @doyourowntimepodcast You can also email me directly at  doyourowntimepodcast@gmail.com If you would like to contact Simon his website is www...

Part two of the Joyceville Prison tour. Join me as I continue to navigate these grounds and this system. If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not share your name or handle without your permission.   We can be found on Instragram and TikTok @doyourowntimepodcast You can also email me directly at   doyourowntimepodcast@gmail.com Show edited and produced by Jonat...

Every day we navigate the prison grounds and system. There is so much to cover, and this episode starts to chip away at that mountain. From the layout of the prison to going before the parole board, let's start to peel the layers. Parole Brochure Link If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not share your name or handle without your permission.   We can be found...

From intake to a new range. Things are different in minimum. The air, the tone, the pace, it's all very different from medium. I'll be around these men for some time. It's time to get settled in and think big picture, it's time to play the long game. If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not share your name or handle without your permission.   We can be found o...

Transferring out of JAU brought me to a new world. A different set up with a different pace, Joyceville minimum institution. This is where I would serve the majority of my sentence. It was a significant adjustment but one for the better. Still prison, still has its risks. And meet the new boss, same as the old boss.  If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not sh...

Assessment is a temporary location that can have a long lasting or permanent impact on your time in prison as well as after. It can be a minefield to walk through. Getting out of Joyceville is inevitable, but not all ways out are ideal. This episode explores what the system looks like at JAU, what the other side of your time looks like. https://www.canada.ca/en/correctional-service/corporate/acts-...

Every day in prison is the same because you really have no idea what to expect, you have no idea what's in store from one moment to the next. Staff, food, cells, range, yard, inmates. Some are a constant, some are in constant flux. My day to day looked one way, others looked another. It can be a matter of what you're seeking during that day that can direct your path.  This episode also shares Paul...

Prisons contain all types of people. Deciding who to associate yourself with and who to avoid can make all the difference in the trajectory of your sentence. Inmates notice who you spend time with and guards know who you spend time with. There are no secrets in prison. Everything you say and do is up for grabs. And there are lockdowns, those suck. Nothing like living in your own stink for weeks on...

Yard time is used by most and for many different reasons. This time is used to exercise, others used it to meet up with people they know from another range. Some used it to cross the line. Whether it's walking the track, going to church, or playing sports there was usually something for everyone.   If you would like to contribute to the show please reach out to me. I will not share your name or ha...

Congradulations, you're in prison...now what? We're not simply locked up 24 hours a day. Some may think that's all we deserve but that's just not how it is. So much goes on in prison. Even the smallest incident or interaction can easily and gravely affect the course of events in prison. I'll being to get into what it's like to live in close quarters with dozens of other inmates, what makes up a da...

Canadian prison is a world unto itself. I made some bad and stupid choices so my life took me there and this episode will walk you into what it's like to enter that prison world for the very first time. A federal prison sentences often starts at the Joyceville Assessment Unit, formerly the Pittsburg Institution. Here things can go as expected, times are often mundane, and sometimes there are event...

A lot goes into a moving day, relocating from one place to another. Especially when that move is from a jail cell to a prison cell. After some time in provincial it's now time to transfer to a federal prison. And yes, jail and prison are very different places. It's been one heck of a heck of a journey to get to this point; I needed to be arrested, convicted and sentenced before I could come to thi...

From being on bail to going to jail. This episode explores the weeks, days, hours and minutes leading up to and being sentenced and taken to a jail. This is a very candid view into my personal life during this time. My sentence length is handed down and serving a federal prison sentence immediately beings. I'll take you from my home, to the courthouse, and to a  provincial jail where I wait until...

Bail granted, surety decided, now what? What can I do? Where can I go? Who will still be around? Life changed hard for me during this time. I am grateful to have been granted bail no matter the major life adjustment. Days are long yet time is fleeting. There is so much work to do to get ready for court. How do you even get ready for something like this? Find, follow, and reach out to us on Instagr...

Most people know the things you can't have in prison, but what exactly are you allowed to have? What do the institutions provide, what can you bring of your own, and how do you get it? This episode explores the personal property that federal inmates are permitted to have with them while they are incarcerated in Canada. Some items are important to some but not to others. What would you bring with y...

Sitting in a cell, waiting for the day I will go before a judge to know whether or not I will be granted bail. Life has taken a turn and now my lawyer and the crown lawyer will do what they need to do. I will explore what it's like to spend a few days in jail while the legal system runs its course and highlight some of the steps involved in making that determination. Follow and chat with us on Ins...

This is just the beginning. This is the day my life changes, for the worse? For the better? Yes. Let's start the journey from handcuffs to a prison cell. A lot goes on between those two events.   Find us on Instagram and TikTok @doyourowntimepodcast     Some effects from quicksounds.com

A podcast about what it's like to go to prison in Canada. This is my own first-hand account. This is me, telling my story of incarceration. I'll guide you through getting arrested, going to court, going to prison, living out a significant amount of time as an inmate, and then rejoining society. I'll take you through the good, the bad, and the ugly sides of prison life. From the clothes you wear an...