Cruel and Unusual

Author:

I was the prisoner described in this story. I was 19 at the time and it took place in 1957 in New Brubnswick Canada

The Gleamer            Edmunston  N.B.

Cruel and Unusual?

Special by James Sheridan

During this time of debate as to whether Corporal Punishment should be discontinued as a legal punishment in New Brunswick, I was able recently to observe a corporal punishment being administered. A bailiff friend of mine in one of our smaller centers called me the night before to say that the juvenile court in Plaster Rock had just sentenced a youth to 8 strokes to be laid across his buttocks the next day. I drove over to Plaster Rock the following morning as the punishment was to be administered around the noon hour.
The punishment took place in the garage of the local municipal/court/police building.
The instruments were: A composite strap of webbed material ( such as in an army belt) and rubber. It is about 2" wide, 3/8" thick and about 2 ft. long  it has 8 holes in it each about the size of a dime. It is attached to a round leather handle.
A long narrow very low wooden bench.

The prisoner this day was a  biker of about 19 years. A relatively husky fellow of about 6 ft. and 190 lbs. He is brought in , a policeman on either side, each with one of his wrists doubled up behind him so that he is doubled over  head in a hang-dog position on his chest  dirty long brown hair hangs over his face adorned  with several days growth of beard  he hasn't seen a bath or shower recently  he is naked but for his jockey briefs. He doesn't look so tough!!
I am told he was charged with a series of offenses regarding booze and wild riding of his motor cycle  also, apparently, a charge that could have gotten him time at Dorchester. This involved a minor girl ( a


July  25  1957

13 yr old )which  maybe could have been pressed as a rape charge. The prisoner pleaded guilty to all the charges, thus saving the county time and money, on the proviso that it be in juvenile court.

He was sentenced to 8 strokes "to be well and truly laid', across his buttocks.

He is forced belly down onto the bench. His head hangs over one end. His wrists are secured by leather straps ,one to each leg of the bench. His briefs are pulled to his knees. A leather strap around each ankle is secured to the other end of the bench in such a way so that it can be hauled tight. A thick pad was placed on the bench such that his gentitals rest on it. His buttocks are thus elevated slightly.

The two police officers lift the head end of the bench  and place blocks under each leg so that the bench is elevated  at an angle of about 45 degrees.

The procedure is thus: One of the police officers will wield the strap holding it with  both hands  will take a quick step forward swinging it with the full force of his weight in a sideways slightly downards motion.

I am standing  6-8 ft. from the head end of the bench staring at the terrified face of the prisoner who is covered in sweat.

CRACK ! The first stroke lands on bare skin. His whole body tightens and quivers. He seems to want to arch backwards but the restraints prevent him and just his head jerks back, he screams.
( He doesn't appear so tough-looking now.) He gasps for breath.

CRACK ! The second stroke lands on the quivering flesh of the bare buttocks. Again his head flails back, the muscles in his back and legs ripple with cramp and again he lets out a scream.
CRACK ! Again the strap bites into bare flesh. His whole body spasms violently trashing at its restraints. He screams and curses, and sobs pleading  NO! NO! NO! NO!.

CRACK! His buttocks have redded up. The muscles in his back, arms, legs ripple with spasms. It thrashes at its restraints  its head flails against the bench, it emits animal like sounds. Its eyes are wild eyed.
( It has become, to this observer, more animal-like than human.)

CRACK! Again the webbing bites into bare flesh. Muscles rippling with spasms  it tugs at its restraints with even greater force, head flails about, eyes roll back in its head, it is hyperventilating  with such force that is screams come out as moans.
( To me this tough is gutlesss  he could apparently act the tough . Why can't  he take his punishment in manly silence ?)

CRACK ! It has tugged so violently at its restraints that the left ankle strap has come undone. It is able to jerk its body  violently to the right. The strap, laid on from its right side,  lands,  on edge, diagonally across the small of its back ( at about the 5th vertebra) cutting into the flesh  curling around the left abdomen, leaving a cut under its left rib cage. Its penis, hard end erected, is dribbling semen. It flails more violently, curses and screams. Two policemen jerk the left leg back into place and re-secure the strap.

CRACK ! The strap lands square across the buttocks. Every muscle in its body is in spasm. Semen seeps from under its groin. It flails violently against its restraints.

CRACK ! the last stroke lands. Its muscles are convulsing. It is hyperventilating. Red welts have risen across its buttocks. The straps at the wrists are undone and the wrists are re-cuffed behind its back  The ankle straps are untied..  It rolls off the bench on to the floor with a thud. It is flailing about. Eyes are rolled back in its head,. It foams at the mouth. It appears grey, cold and clammy. There is a scarlet scrape on its left abdomen. The flailing slows, it arches its back to take the weight off its buttocks. The penis is erected and hard. It is masturbating semen onto its groin and pubic hair. It has rolled through some oil stains on the floor becoming even  grimier. Finally it rolls over and lays splayed out face down in the grime and dirt' gasping for breath and moaning.

The two cops grab it, one by each wrist and arm pit and lift it half off the floor doubled over, its head hanging, long hair just brushing the floor, legs splayed out behind  they half carry half drag it back into the cell area.

This young tough chose  to booze it up under age  tear around in a reckless manner on his motor-cycle and engage in sexual activity with a 13 year-old.
He willingly chose juvenile court over adult court with the possibility, if convicted of doing 'hard time' at Dorchester as somebody's love slave.

Cruel and Unusual or Just Punishment  You be the judge but to me he got less than his just