CORNWALL, Ontario – Several prominent citizens of Cornwall were hauled into custody by the Cornwall Community Police Service (CCPS) and the RCMP on Wednesday, April 26.
Radio personality Dan Allaire, United Counties Warden Jim Bancroft and Mayor of Cornwall Leslie O’Shaughnessy were all clapped with cuffs brought before the judge Rev. Ruth Draffin.
It was all for a good cause though. Beyond 21 organized the Jail N’ Bail event as a fundraiser and good nature fun was had by those citizens that were brought into the jail.
Beyond 21 encouraged people to secretly nominate their friends, family and co-workers to be arrested and brought into their “jail” at the Cornwall Square. The accused would then be informed of the charge against them by Judge Draffin as well as the amount they needed to raise for bail. The inmates were then taken to their cells and had an hour to call friends and raise their bail amount.
Mayor O’Shaughnessy was booked for “being a busy body and for knowing everything that is going on in Cornwall,” and was given a bail amount of $200. The Mayor managed to raise his bail with one phone call, but then was given a further charge of “contempt of court” and his bail was raised.
In total 24 people were brought to the Beyond 21 jail on Wednesday and in the first hour of the day they had raised over $1, 000.
The Square donated the former location of Tip Top as the site of the jail and it was decorated by volunteer CCVS art students.
By the end of the day Beyond 21 had raised over $11, 000. All money will stay in the area and go to fund Beyond 21’s growing activities and programs.
