The mother of a man with a mental illness is frustrated that her son is in jail charged with stabbing her instead of being treated in hospital. Jordan Kankam, 21, has spent more than a year behind bars, waiting for his court appearance in January. His mother, Gina Kankam, described in detail the night in April 2013 when he attacked her.
His lawyer says he should not be held criminally responsible and has requested that he either be admitted to hospital or be given an earlier court date. Both requests have been denied.
Backlogs in Canadian courts
Many Canadian courts have backlogs which cause delays for cases to be heard. However there are legal limits, which if exceeded, can mean cases are dismissed.
Gina Kankam says her youngest son began to show signs of psychotic illness just before he turned 17. He has been diagnosed with schizophrenia and prescribed medication. She says he needs treatment, and will only get worse if he doesn’t get it.
Ombudsman criticized prison system
Canada’s prison ombudsman has in the past drawn attention to a high number of mentally-ill people in prison who are not getting proper treatment.
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