Innocent until proven guilty -- that doesn't hold true for a woman from Prince Edward Island who's been in custody at the Portage Correctional Centre for three months. 

Margaret Romano says she's one of up to 50 women in the facility who are unable to get legal representation from Legal Aid Manitoba. 

 

She says their calls have gone unanswered and their letters to the provincial and federal justice departments haven't been replied to. 

 

Romano believes there are serious tangles in the Manitoba justice system, adding the Portage facility is housing more women than its capacity.  Without anybody in the province to sign her surety, Romano's only option is to plead guilty for a crime she says she didn't commit. 

 

The executive director of Legal Aid Manitoba was unavailable for comment and the justice minister declined comment until after the matter is reviewed.