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He was even touched by the kindness of one cellmate. Smith was the third man in a two-bunk cell situated in what he described as the jail’s “minimum, minimum security” block (“No bad guys”) and was handed a slab of foam to sleep on. He says the cellmate — Yvan, a man of about 50 from Gatineau — told him: “No, no, you can’t sleep on that” and gave him his bunk. But sleep was still tough. He figures he managed “10 minutes or so, sitting up.”

He says his other cellmate, Eric, a Maniwaki resident, was a really good guy, too. Eric promised to keep in touch through Facebook, once he’s out.

“Both these guys were super nice. I couldn’t even open the (cell) door. They jumped up and opened the door for me.”

Soon after arriving, Smith says he received an enthusiastic welcome from many of the roughly 30 inmates in his cellblock. They recognized him from his picture in the papers and had read his story. One inmate told him he was “the most important guy” there. Others offered him to treat him to coffee from the canteen.

Smith says he felt bad for some of the guys. There were a few who had been in since the summer, still wearing light clothing — prison garb isn’t issued, at least in his cellblock — in a chilly jail. One inmate’s shoes were falling apart.

“You understand what I’m saying? If they don’t have anybody on the outside (willing to bring any supplies they need), they got nothing.”

One prisoner, whom Smith says was only 24, was very distressed because he had just been handed a 18-month sentence. “I calmed him down … I said: ‘There’s not much I can tell you, except don’t talk too much to too many people … try not to get in anybody’s way.’