By Tamara Baluja, The ProvinceB.C.’s self-styled Prince of Pot, Marc Emery, has been put in solitary confinement for “unknowingly” breaking a rule, his wife says.
Jodie Emery told The Province on Wednesday that her husband has been put in Security Housing Unit (SHU) at the SeaTac Federal Detention Centre on June 3 after she recorded a phone conversation with him meant for public broadcast.
“He was immediately remorseful,” said Emery, adding that her husband did not realize he had done anything wrong until he was served an offical citation.
Before he was put in solitary, Emery sent his wife an email, which has now been posted to the Cannabis Culture website. He writes: “There’s nothing in my rule book that says you can’t record my calls, so I thought it was OK.”
The recorded phone conversation was intended as a message to Emery’s supporters, similar to the ones he made while in custody in Canada. But upon receiving Marc’s email, Jodie did not air the podcast.
“It’s just awful – not being able to talk to him and not knowing when I can talk to him next,” she said.
Emery will remain in the SHU until the prison holds an internal “disciplinary hearing” at an undetermined future date.
“I don’t know why they did this,” Jodie said. “He never said anything negative about them, was always very respectful of the rules because he knew the prison system there can be unjust.”
Emery is not entitled to a lawyer during a disciplinary action, because it has nothing to do with his legal case, Jodie said.
“It’s an internal matter,” she said, adding that Emery could lose additional privileges or be punished with more time in the SHU.
No one was available to comment at the SeaTac detention centre.
Emery is currently awaiting sentencing after being extradited to the U.S. by the Conservative government. After his sentencing, Emery can apply for transfer to Canada for the remainder of his sentence. Public Safety Minister Vic Toews will decide if Emery will be allowed to come home.