Setting Prisoners Free

He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, hypothermia had set in, even though he was wrapped in blankets, had on several hats and was wearing a few pairs of socks. He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, the cold was biting, causing him to no longer feel his toes or fingers, and the relentless chill had caused him to lose the ability to think logically. He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, his torn-up tent and the whiskey did little to protect him from the savage arctic winds coming off the lake. He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, his neighbours (from the tent city) had found warm places to relocate for the night, so he was lying there alone. He was curled up under a bridge in the depths of winter, and on this particular night the temperature was well below zero Fahrenheit (at least -20C) and the wind chill made it even more unbearable and deadly. On these frigid nights, a few of us would drive around the neighbo

He sat there day after day, in the same spot on the cold concrete, puffing his "roll-your-own" cigarettes with his ash-stained fingers and sipping his "corner-store" coffee. He sat there day after day, in the same spot on the cold concrete, wearing the same clothes gradually getting dirtier and dirtier. He sat there day after day, in the same spot on the cold concrete, greeting passers-by with a smile as the weather was quickly moving into the cold months of winter. He sat there day after day, in the same spot on the cold concrete, causing concern to many locals because we were witnessing this petite man becoming visibly more fragile and smaller. He sat there day after day, in the same spot on the cold concrete, telling me that he was fine, wasn't homeless and had a friend's couch to sleep on at night. This was Frenchie—an Uptown gem loved by most of the neighbourhood. I struggled to believe he was telling me the truth. He wasn’t lying to pull a fast one on

He was petrified... to say the least! He had no money, so he slipped behind someone through the turnstiles to get onto the train and the police swooped in and arrested him. He spent a few hours sitting in a jail cell before he was released with an iBond and a pending court date. To most people I work with, this arrest would be annoying, frustrating, and maddening, not petrifying! Most people know arrests like this, normally result in either being thrown out or receiving a small fine. Most people know how important it is to ensure they attend their scheduled court date. But for this elderly gentleman, it petrified him... to say the least! He'd never been to jail before, he didn’t drink alcohol, he didn't smoke cigarettes, he didn't use drugs, he wasn't in a gang and had once had a somewhat successful business that had gone belly up. He was proud of his clean record and lifestyle, and everyone knew how he loved to look down on all the others experiencing homelessness. He