Summary Of Go-Boy By Roger Caron

Roger Caron’s life consisted of a series of incarcerations and escapes from some of Canada’s toughest institutions. His book, Go-Boy! is an interesting read, especially for those pursuing a career within the criminal justice system. He recounts in detail his life of crime from the time he entered it at the age of just sixteen in 1954 until he was thirty-four in 1972. Caron grew up as a rebellious loner in a poor and violent household with little compassion and constant arguments. He seemed destined to be involved in violent criminal acts since he was beaten by his father and brothers as well as community members and the house was raided on several occasions since his father bootlegged alcohol. Starting when he was 16, Caron was consistently incarcerated with brief breaks of freedom which ultimately resulted in robberies and re-arrests. He broke out of jail 13 times and was officially released on five occasions. His time imprisoned was marred with beatings, stabbings, tear-gassing, rape, electric-shock therapy and years spent in solitary confinement. In an interesting note, Caron only had a grade six education and it took him 15 years to write the book.
He begins with the bus ride on the Black Maria on the way to the Ontario Reformatory in Guelph.
Here he is to spend the next fourteen months for break and enter. Caron makes friends and slowly learns the how to exist in jail. He he learns that within this system there is no option but to show no weakness. Caron is initially categorized as being a candidate for rehabilitation and moved to a medium security reformatory in Brampton. With the added freedom, his uncontrollable rage and desire to seem tough, he hits another bigger prisoner, and thinks that he has killed him. This prompts his first of many escapes. Although he makes it out (but his friend does not), Caron is eventually captured and returns to Guelph with an added six months to
serve.

After his first ten day stint in the cooler with nothing more than socks and some cloth and bread and water to eat, he emerges even more rebellious and seemingly intent on segregating himself from the general population. His gives a detailed account of the different areas for groups of inmates and you are first introduced to the segregated unit. Caron soon joins the meanest and toughest criminals as part of the segregated unit. The guard, Sergeant Tracy, in charge while, strict and having high standards for the inmates in his care, is fair and seems somewhat concerned for them although following his own policy for dealing with the men on the Buller. Startled on night by a guard, he is taken and found guilty of assaulting a guard because of damage done to the guard’s flashlight. Again we are exposed to the rage living inside Caron. He is sentenced to ten strokes of the paddle in the Limbo Room, an infamous location held in fear by Caron as he has heard horrific stories of what the paddle has done to men before him. He he is stripped with several witnesses in the room and beaten severely but does not cry out in an act of defiance and pride. Bleeding, he is brought upstairs to meet the Provincial Parole Board in an elegant room. Caron was eventually paroled after waiting an extra ten days for the decision. He mentions here that deep down he was hurting and too empty to be happy about his release.

He lasted less than a week before committing a robbery and sentenced to two years less a day. Back in the Ontario Reformatory in Guleph, Caron continued to be involved in violence despite spending a significant amount of time working out. He was sentenced to the maximum of twelve strokes of the paddle and when Sergeant Tracy found him, got him medical attention and gave him time off work. This beating was even worse than the last time and left Caron is serious pain and disfigurement. The severity of the paddling made was illegal and should have been stopped but wasn’t. Being brave and unwilling to show weakness, Caron again receives the punishment without begging for mercy and giving the officials victory in his opinion.

After time spent in a psychiatric ward where it was like living on cloud nine in comparison, Caron decides once again to break out after returning to the general population. While at work he devises a plan and manages to spend four days on the outside before being caught. This time he is handed a sentence of 25 years in Kingston Penitentiary.