Health rights

February 6, 2013

 Canadian Medical Association Journal (CMHJ) – Adam Miller
Providing principled health care in prison

The Journal continues its series – the fifth to date – on health concerns, medical and psychological, for inmates in prisons in Canada.  Health care standards are dictated by the Correctional and Conditional Release Act but there is considerable ambiguity around the required “essential health care” and what constitutes the basic health care rights of the incarcerated. http://www.cmaj.ca/site/earlyreleases/5feb13_providing_principled_health_care_in_prison.xhtml 

 Toronto Star – Thomas Walkom
Harper retreats to the safety of crime

Noting vagueness on the detail, Walkom suggests that the announcement on further tough-on-crime measures by Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is a return to safety and a retrenchment of the Conservation government’s efforts to sell the Canadian voter by the twin cries of crime and economy.  http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2013/02/06/harper_retreats_to_the_safety_of_crime_walkom.html

 Toronto Star Editorial:
Conference Board findings on poverty, inequality should spur change

Communiqué has recently featured articles from US economist Joseph Stiglitz as well as Oxfam on the social and economic problems that can trace their origins directly to growing disparity in the income of Canadians.  The Conference Board of Canada now echoes the same concerns, calling for more vigorous action on child poverty, on working age poverty and on poverty among seniors, up from 2.9% to 6.7%. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2013/02/05/conference_board_findings_on_poverty_inequality_should_spur_change_editorial.html  Full report available at:  http://www.conferenceboard.ca/hcp/default.aspx  OECD Assessment and Recommendations for Canada: http://www.oecdbetterlifeindex.org/countries/canada

 Al Jezeera English News
Inside Story Americas – Gangs and guns in America’s inner cities

A 25 minute video report on inner-city crime and gun control in Baltimore, Maryland, from Al Jezeera, this report looks at the racial overtones of the gun control issue along with the poverty / employment factors found in hard-core depressed areas, especially among the youth. Building prisons vs community development is a focal point of the discussion as well. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H__ANnelTx8 

 Truthout –  Christopher Petrella
The Legacy of Chattel Slavery: Private Prisons Blur the Line Between Real People and Real Estate With New IRS Property Gambit

Private prison companies like GEO have been recognized  as a Real Estate Investment Trust  or a REIT under the US Internal Revenue Services.  All they have to do to pay no federal taxes whatever is distribute 90% of their taxable income to shareholders.  The ruling from the IRS accepts that GEO is basically a real estate company which dabbles in corrections.  GEO’s rival, Corrections Corporation of America (CCA) is waiting for its IRS ruling.  http://truth-out.org/news/item/14255-the-legacy-of-chattel-slavery-private-prisons-blur-the-line-between-real-people-and-real-estate-with-new-irs-property-gambit#.URAnOeMgaT8.email

 International Institute for Restorative Practices (IIRP)
The Prevention Researcher

The link takes you to a page where the emphasis is on research of RJ issues and a comprehensive view of the various types of RJ interventions. Scroll to the bottom of the link page for pdf versions of the various articles. http://www.tpronline.org/issue.cfm/Restorative_Justice

 University of Alaska Fairbanks – Cyber Symposium
Dispute Resolution, Therapeutic Jurisprudence, and Restorative Justice

The UAF Justice Department will sponsor the 3rd Annual 2013 Inter-University Cyber-Symposium Thursday, April 4, 2013! 11AM-1:30PM Alaska time.  For papers, preparation, videos with links to 6 university sites (previous sessions), registration: http://www.uaf.edu/justice/adr-symposium

 Americas Quarterly – Carlos E. Ponce
Truces show that gangs are more sophisticated, not that they have renounced the criminal lifestyle

El Salvador has had a 60% drop in the homicide rate following a truce between the two major rival gangs.  Ponce thinks the gangs are more sophisticated and not necessarily involved in less crime. http://americasquarterly.org/content/truces-show-gangs-are-more-sophisticated-not-they-have-renounced-criminal-lifestyle