News and Politics | November 14, 2008 | 26 comments

Canada frees man too FAT for jail

source: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/7727846.stm

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Michel Lapointe is a convicted drugs gang member arrested in 2006 who weighs 450lb (205kg).

He could not fit on the chair in his Montreal prison cell and his body protruded six inches on either side of his bed, press reports said.

Officials ruled that Lapointe's prison conditions were "difficult" because of his health.

The Journal de Montreal newspaper quoted a letter from the authorities to Mr Lapointe saying: "You have been detained for more than 25 months and your prison conditions are difficult because of your health."

They also cited the refusal of two other facilities to accept the 37-year-old, who was handed a five-year sentence in May this year.

Mr Lapointe was freed late on Tuesday.

"I'm going to have a proper bed and finally have a chair I can sit in," he told the paper outside the prison.

"I want a normal life. I've done some stupid things and I've paid for them," he added.

In its justification for the early release, the Quebec Parole Board also cited Mr Lapointe's good behaviour, his non-violent crime and the support of his wife and mother.
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26 comments // Canada frees man too FAT for jail

  • netstorm2k8
    • 0
      netstorm2k8  

    • A non-violent criminal shouldn't be in jail in the first place, and no one should be incarcerated for choosing to put a chemical in their body. Those who disagree should put down their coffee and cigarettes and beer and big macs and shut the hell up, hypocrites.

    • 3 years ago
  • colea4
    • 0
      colea4  

    • Criminals you heard it, go to Canada and gain 300 lbs. I do wonder, with nazbags, if they attempted to help him lose weight. I also, agree with isnamthere, did they have to show me the crack?

    • 3 years ago
  • MiguelSanchez
  • CalgarC
  • Sublime_Emperor
  • iloveravi
  • nazbags
    • 0
      nazbags  

    • I wonder if they tried to get him to lose weight while he was in jail? It does say that his weight was not the only factor in releasing him, so it's not like he got a total get-out-of-jail-free card

    • 3 years ago
  • suzybabe
  • iloveravi
  • barbara3d
  • iloveravi
    • 0
      iloveravi  
    • iloveravi:

      If you really want to achieve results with curbing drug use you need to invest in treatment and not incarceration.

      It has been shown in every country that has tried that the only effective way of dealing with the problem is treatment.

      Locking people up for drug charges will provide you with a huge prison population and a thriving drug culture. Shall we look at the USA and it's failed War on Drugs Program?

      I'm not sure what your "killing people with cars while on drugs" comment was aimed at but I'm guessing you were attempting to suggest that driving while on drugs would increase with a decriminalization drugs However, in countries that have decriminalized soft drugs there was no sustained spike in use.

      So, to answer your ridiculous question. Yes, I have no problem with drug use. And No I don't condone killing people with cars while on drugs.

      If you are opposed to soft drug use I am curious as to why. I am also curious to see if your reasons actually hold any water. Please feel free to explain.

    • 3 years ago
  • tursiops
  • KOVAKABANA
    • 0
      KOVAKABANA  

    • Way to encourage obesity Canada! Now Canadians can commit crimes without the fear of being put in jail, and all they have to do is eat hundreds of fast food combos. The criminals will have to reduce the amount of crack they smoke in order to increase the amount of crack they show.

    • 3 years ago
  • barbara3d
  • deeblackangel
  • Tayllerand
  • Tayllerand
  • marpunk
  • UWAZell
  • isnamthere
  • maeveisis
  • AveryMoore
    • 0
      AveryMoore  

    • So, lets see how this works.

      There are no prisons left in Canada with workshops?

      OK then. Because there are no prison workshops nobody on site could custom-build a table, chair and bed for Mr Lapointe. Damn shame.

      Being, I guess, a poor country, Canada has no furniture workshops anywhere?

      OK then. Therefore nobody could custom-build a table, chair and bed for Mr Lapointe anywhere in Canada..

      And even if there was a supersized table\chair\bed available stateside there's the huge cost to take into account.

      So they released a gang member with time unserved on drug charges...and for no other reason.

      Right.

    • 3 years ago
  • KefKef
    • 0
      KefKef  

    • Since Paris Hilton got released from jail early for mental heath reasons, I guess its only fair that this guy goes free for his condition. If its not Paris fault for being stupid, then its not this guys fault for being fat.

    • 3 years ago
  • maeveisis
  • bedeboop
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