Stephen Reid (writer)
Encyclopedia
Stephen Reid is a Canadian
writer, who has also been convicted twice of bank robbery
.
Born in Massey, Ontario
, Reid began writing in 1984 while serving a 21-year prison sentence at the Kent Institution
in Agassiz
, British Columbia
. During his sentence, he submitted a manuscript to Susan Musgrave
, then writer-in-residence at the University of Waterloo
. This developed into an ongoing correspondence, and Reid and Musgrave married in 1986 at Kent. Reid also published his only novel, Jack Rabbit Parole, that year.
Reid was released on full parole
in June 1987. He lived with Musgrave and her daughters in Sidney
, British Columbia, teaching creative writing at Camosun College
and working as a youth counselor in the Northwest Territories
.
Reid also struggled with heroin and cocaine
addiction, and in June 1999, he committed another bank robbery. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison and released on day parole on January 28, 2008.
Reid has done time in over twenty different prisons in Canada and the US.
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
writer, who has also been convicted twice of bank robbery
Bank robbery
Bank robbery is the crime of stealing from a bank during opening hours. According to the Federal Bureau of Investigation's Uniform Crime Reporting Program, robbery is "the taking or attempting to take anything of value from the care, custody, or control of a person or persons by force or threat of...
.
Born in Massey, Ontario
Ontario
Ontario is a province of Canada, located in east-central Canada. It is Canada's most populous province and second largest in total area. It is home to the nation's most populous city, Toronto, and the nation's capital, Ottawa....
, Reid began writing in 1984 while serving a 21-year prison sentence at the Kent Institution
Kent Institution
Kent Institution is a Correctional Service of Canada facility located in Kent, British Columbia. Opened in 1979, Kent is the only maximum security federal penitentiary in the CSC's Pacific region, which includes the province of British Columbia and the Yukon territory. The majority of prisoners...
in Agassiz
Agassiz, British Columbia
Agassiz is a small community located in British Columbia's Fraser Valley. The only town within the jurisdiction of the District Municipality of Kent, it contains the majority of Kent's population.-References:...
, British Columbia
British Columbia
British Columbia is the westernmost of Canada's provinces and is known for its natural beauty, as reflected in its Latin motto, Splendor sine occasu . Its name was chosen by Queen Victoria in 1858...
. During his sentence, he submitted a manuscript to Susan Musgrave
Susan Musgrave
Susan Musgrave is a Canadian poet and children's writer. She was born in Santa Cruz, California to Canadian parents, and currently lives in British Columbia, dividing her time between Sidney and the Queen Charlotte Islands....
, then writer-in-residence at the University of Waterloo
University of Waterloo
The University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
. This developed into an ongoing correspondence, and Reid and Musgrave married in 1986 at Kent. Reid also published his only novel, Jack Rabbit Parole, that year.
Reid was released on full parole
Parole
Parole may have different meanings depending on the field and judiciary system. All of the meanings originated from the French parole . Following its use in late-resurrected Anglo-French chivalric practice, the term became associated with the release of prisoners based on prisoners giving their...
in June 1987. He lived with Musgrave and her daughters in Sidney
Sidney, British Columbia
Sidney is a town located at the northern end of the Saanich Peninsula, on Vancouver Island in the Canadian province of British Columbia. It is one of the 13 Greater Victoria municipalities. It has a population of approximately 11,300. Sidney is located just east of Victoria International Airport,...
, British Columbia, teaching creative writing at Camosun College
Camosun College
Camosun College is located in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada. As of 2009 it had over 12,500 full-time and part-time students between its Lansdowne and Interurban campuses. The Lansdowne campus provides university transfer and access programs, as well as career, technical and vocational...
and working as a youth counselor in the Northwest Territories
Northwest Territories
The Northwest Territories is a federal territory of Canada.Located in northern Canada, the territory borders Canada's two other territories, Yukon to the west and Nunavut to the east, and three provinces: British Columbia to the southwest, and Alberta and Saskatchewan to the south...
.
Reid also struggled with heroin and cocaine
Cocaine
Cocaine is a crystalline tropane alkaloid that is obtained from the leaves of the coca plant. The name comes from "coca" in addition to the alkaloid suffix -ine, forming cocaine. It is a stimulant of the central nervous system, an appetite suppressant, and a topical anesthetic...
addiction, and in June 1999, he committed another bank robbery. He was sentenced to 18 years in prison and released on day parole on January 28, 2008.
Reid has done time in over twenty different prisons in Canada and the US.
External links
- Stephen Reid bio - Banff CentreBanff CentreThe Banff Centre, formerly known as The Banff Centre for Continuing Education, is an arts, cultural, and educational institution and conference complex located in Banff, Alberta...
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