February 19, 2013
Livingston Daily.com – Paul Egan – Gannett News Service
Michigan prison costs high despite fewer inmates, staff
Lots of the rhetoric around growth in prisons and mass incarceration has prompted realization about the cost of prisons. In this article, some preliminary evidence suggests that if you reduce the ingredients of paying for prisons, you don’t reduce the over-all costs; they continue to increase! Health care costs, pay increases and retiree costs are the culprits this time. http://www.livingstondaily.com/article/20130219/NEWS01/302190304/Michigan-prison-costs-high-despite-fewer-inmates-staff?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage
Summer conference at Memorial University, St. John’s, NF
Creating Direction for Justice and Peace: Aug 21-23, 2013
Dorothy Vaandering (dvaandering@mun.ca) a professor of education at Memorial University with much involvement in restorative practices in educational settings sends us this notice. All the details are available on the web page at: www.edge2013.ca
FACE Restorative Justice Training
The Huronia Restorative Justice Program better known as FACE operates out of Midland will be holding a facilitator training at Georgian College in Orillia on Feb 28 to Mar 2 from 9 am to 4:30 pm all three days. FACE runs restorative justice circles for those in conflict with the law. Cost is $75.00 per person which includes manual and lunches. The course requires minimum 20 people to run. Please contact Patricia St.Denis at face.prostlaw@bellnet.ca or 705-828-3225 for more information or to register.
The Age.com (Australia)
Traumatised children self-harming in detention
In the last 14 months there have been twenty-six self-harming incidents involving children in immigration detention. Professor Louise Newman, the chairwoman of the mental health group advising the government, and professor of developmental psychiatry at Monash University, said the incidents were ”entirely predictable”. She adds: ”There’s good evidence of the harmful effects of detention on the mental health of children and adults, and so these behaviours that are starting to emerge now are entirely predictable.” http://www.theage.com.au/national/traumatised-children-selfharming-in-detention-20130219-2epl7.html#ixzz2LM3b8Wxt
Allvoices.com – Billie Greenwood
When immigration ‘reform’ propels private prison profiteering
The recent US immigration reform seems to trade harder border enforcement for a path to citizenship for some. This 2 minutes video outlines succinctly the role of private and for profit prisons in the policy making. http://www.allvoices.com/contributed-news/14065893-when-immigration-reform-propels-private-prison-profiteering
National Post: Christie Blatchford
How does an 18-year-old end up doing serious time in a federal prison for throwing crab apples at a postman?
The question begs answer. There was mental health intervention while in youth and federal custody, repeatedly. The question remains and why was “therapeutic quiet” the consistent answer. http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2013/02/18/christie-blatchford-on-ashley-smith-how-does-an-18-year-old-end-up-doing-serious-time-in-a-federal-prison-for-throwing-crab-apples-at-a-postman
Winnipeg Free Press – Allison Jones
Mandatory sentences hurt some: Ottawa – But public safety paramount, government argues
The government seems to suggest that one man should die for the people. A five member panel of judges will hear the constitutionality of the mandatory minimums that have been struck down. The government argues that “It is also entitled to limit judicial discretion in pursuit of that goal. Parliament has sought to enhance public safety by deterring criminal misuse of firearms, and it is entitled to deference in pursuit of that objective.” http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/canada/mandatory-sentences-hurt-some-ottawa-191781061.html
Criminology at Oxford (UK) – Blogger Lea Sitkin
Can immigration detention be legitimate?
The Second All Souls Criminology Seminar raises the question of legitimacy in the light of both prisons and immigration detention centres. Under this view, legitimacy is a property of both the external conditions that govern the use of prisons and the internal practices. But what is more disturbing is the lack of judicial oversight of the decision to detain immigrants. http://crim.law.ox.ac.uk/?p=141
Jamaica Employers’ Federation – Bryan Miller
Jamaica’s Minister of Justice announced the government’s intent to strengthen the finances for RJ in the coming 2013-1024 budget year. http://www.jis.gov.jm/news/leads-109/33010