Lifestyle
After 33 years behind bars, Daniel Jolivet is rebuilding a life outside prison
Daniel Jolivet, released on bail after 33 years, is learning phones, paperwork and everyday freedoms while waiting to learn if he will get a new trial.
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By Torontoer Staff
Daniel Jolivet is rediscovering ordinary freedoms after 33 years in prison. Now 68, he was released on bail in December after a Crown prosecutor`s review concluded his case may involve a miscarriage of justice. He is living in a one-room apartment in Montreal while he waits for a decision from the Justice Minister on a new trial or a referral to the Court of Appeal.
Adjusting to daily life has been practical, emotional and occasionally overwhelming. Jolivet fills his days with tasks he missed while incarcerated: sleeping in a proper bed, buying his own food and relearning how to use technology. He says he has no appetite for dwelling on the years he lost.
A small apartment and everyday freedoms
Jolivet`s apartment is compact and tidy. He points to his bed when he describes the difference between a mattress on a metal plate in prison and a proper mattress of his own. He spends time in the kitchen choosing and preparing food, a control he did not have for decades.
I am starting a new life, it is a bit late, but it’s never too late.
Daniel Jolivet
The sense of autonomy matters. Jolivet says the simple fact that no one can lock his door or make him stand up for a count changes how he views each day. Small routines, like deciding what to eat and when to sleep, serve as markers of the life he is rebuilding.
Practical challenges: technology, shopping and paperwork
Reintegration requires new skills. Jolivet is learning to use a smartphone and a computer. He describes his current comfort level succinctly: he knows how to push the button and turn devices on. He is applying for Old Age Security and plans to get a driver`s licence.
Anecdotes capture the gap between his experience and contemporary life. His lawyer, Nicholas St-Jacques of Quebec`s Innocence Project, took him to a mall and watched Jolivet react to current prices for clothing. The moment underlines how much has changed since 1992, when Jolivet was jailed after a conviction in a quadruple murder in Brossard.
We went to the shopping mall, and he wanted to buy a shirt. He was like, 'Oh my God, did you see the price?' And I told him, 'That is not expensive, it is a regular price for a shirt now.'
Nicholas St-Jacques
- Apply for Old Age Security and benefits
- Obtain a driver`s licence
- Learn basic smartphone and computer functions
- Secure stable income and housing
Support network and emotional recovery
A small circle of supporters has handled much of Jolivet`s immediate needs, offering financial assistance and emotional care. He becomes emotional when he speaks about that help, and he frames his reaction as part of a wider rebirth after decades of incarceration.
They really care for me, I know that. People who are going to see me cry are going to say, 'Oh my, what a baby', I am kind of a baby, reborn you know?
Daniel Jolivet
Jolivet`s lawyer remains closely involved in day-to-day decisions as well as the legal front. That assistance is typical for cases involving long-term convictions that are later questioned by prosecutors and innocence projects.
Legal limbo and broader implications
Jolivet was released on bail on December 19 after a review by Quebec`s Crown prosecutor`s office suggested a possible miscarriage of justice. He remains subject to conditions while he awaits a decision from the Justice Minister on whether he will receive a new trial or have his file sent to the Court of Appeal.
St-Jacques says Jolivet`s case underscores the gravity of decisions made by police, prosecutors and judges, and the lasting consequences of mistakes in the justice system.
You are working with the lives of people, with the freedom of people. If you make a mistake, it is not something that you can just correct the next day.
Nicholas St-Jacques
What comes next
Jolivet says he has a packed agenda and little interest in revisiting anger. He plans to focus on practical steps: paperwork, appointments and routines that help him settle. The legal process will continue in the background, but his immediate priority is building a predictable day-to-day life.
For now, Jolivet is taking small measures of normalcy as proof of progress. He sleeps better. He eats what he wants. He is relearning how to be independent. The next legal decision may alter his formal status, but rebuilding ordinary life is already underway.
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