Father pleads for jailed son's prescription drugs

The father of a man in jail in St. John's fears his 18-year-old son's health will deteriorate because he's been taken off drugs he was prescribed before he was put in Her Majesty's Penitentiary.

"If your mom needs heart pills, she gotta have heart pills – that's why they're prescribed. If he needs an anti-psychotic drug to keep him under control, it was given to him for a reason. They don't just give them to you for nothing," said Billy Earle, speaking about his son Jason Earle.

Earle said his son has not received any medication since Nov. 7 and he blames the psychiatrist who works at the penitentiary.

A provincial Department of Justice official said Dr. David Craig is the only psychiatrist working at the penitentiary.

"Somebody needs to wake up and take the bull by the horns and start moving this along because this is very serious," said Earle. 

Jason Earle was jailed after he escaped during a transfer from a youth detention centre in late October.

His father warned he'll take legal action if his son is harmed while he's in the penitentiary.