Pat Bliss with his new book 'Behind the Razor's Ribbon - A Correctional Officer's Perspective'. (Nigel Mawxell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

A look behind the walls

Former P.A. correctional officer shares stories of life behind the walls of the ‘big brick monster’ in new book

Dec 17, 2019 | 5:03 PM

Prince Albert’s Pat Bliss can fondly the recall the day he walked through the doors of the “big brick monster” as he calls it, to start a job that would change his life.

Bliss worked at the Saskatchewan Penitentiary for 27 years and his new book, Behind the Razor Ribbon – A Correctional Officer’s Perspective, literally illustrates what life was like for him behind the walls.

“I had farmed before that so it was a real mystery, I lived not far from there and had gone by it all my life but not knowing what was behind the walls until I actually walked in and saw it was a real eye opener,” he said.

One of Bliss’s paintings shows the comparison from his first day walking into the prison, and the day he retired. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

The artwork contained in Bliss’s book represents seven years of work. He said he was motivated to do the art, and eventually the book out of frustration with the way correctional officers were being portrayed in big budget Hollywood movies.

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“It is a community ruled by law, but it functions as its own little community,” he explained.

The book traces Bliss’s career from the time first started at the penitentiary to his day of retirement. One of Bliss’s career highlights was working at the Riverbend institution with the former Prison Farms program, which was phased out by the former Harper government between 2009 and 2011.

“If you don’t have a sense of humour, you are never going to make it,” _{Pat Bliss}

The closure of the prison farm at the Prince Albert prison inspired one of the pieces in Bliss’s book. He said the program did more good than harm, adding he personally witnessed hardened criminals change their ways by learning to fix machinery or raise a calf.

“The excuses [by the government] was that there wasn’t enough agricultural jobs to make this worth while but that wasn’t the point; it was the fact they were learning compassion and work ethics,” he said.

One of Pat Bliss’s passions outside of his art work is horses and he has fond memories of his horse Fliint, the first horse given to him when he started his job. (Nigel Maxwell/paNOW Staff)

Bliss does not shy away from admitting the job he did was tough and had many challenges, noting he personally lost many friends and family to operational stress injuries as a result of the job. He explained he was fortunate to have some great influences early in his career who taught him the importance of having interests away from work, and never to bury his feelings.

“And you have to have a sense of humour. If you don’t have a sense of humour you are never going to make it,” he said.

He added there were times in his own experiences, when it was tough to find someone to talk to.

“A lot of times I’d get home and there be nobody home because my wife and I worked different shifts so my horses and dogs were the ones that heard all my stories,” he said with a laugh.

Due to the shroud of mystery that is often associated with the penitentiary, Bliss was asked how his former coworkers responded to news he was making the book. Bliss, who has shown his work to both correctional officers as well as former inmates, said the response has been very supportive.

“Im not here to point fingers and say these are all the bad guys. They are regular folks too and just got caught doing something and they served their time,” he said.

Bliss will be signing copies of his book Thursday at the On The Avenue Art Gallery at 1101 Central Avenue, from 4 p.m. to 7 p.m. Some of the artwork from the book will also be on display.

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nigel.maxwell@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell