Vern Thibedeau

The Door: My Twenty-six Years Working Inside Canada's Prisons Vern Thibedeau

For Canadian corrections offi cer Vern Thibedeau, it all began at "Disney World"-or at least the penitentiary that ironically carried that nickname. Within ten months, he is seriously injured. One year later he has a pistol aimed at his head during an incident in which two officers and a civilian are shot. Four years later, an inmate murders a correctional offi cer, who is Vern's friend, and a food steward. Over the course of a career spanning twenty six years, Vern was assigned to fi ve different prisons, but his time behind the stark walls of Kingston Penitentiary was his most difficult. During his assignment there, he dealt with some of the most notorious and dangerous inmates in Canada's history, such as Clifford Olson and others as bad as Paul Bernardo and Russell Williams. He was part of several hostage incidents and was taken hostage himself once. The stress of his job manifested itself in a variety of physical and emotional injuries, and he found himself forced to take time off to recover. It all culminated during a horrific time when a sex offender is taken to segregation and his victim is approximately the age of Vern's own daughter. It all struck a little too close for comfort. Later, Vern worked closely with police while investigating a fellow officer who was also a friend. After retirement, Vern is contacted by the police who request more information regarding the investigation. These are his true stories of his years working behind the bars.