April 17, 2013
Calgary Herald – Kris Kanizsai
Kanizsai: How Harper’s tough-on-crime law has ruined me
A personal story about the basic unfairness of the changes brought to the pardon process result in the loss of several promising jobs and illustrate the problem. http://www.calgaryherald.com/Kanizsai+Harper+tough+crime+ruined/8242685/story.html#ixzz2QfJNd874
San Francisco Chronicle – Bob Egelko
Court backs detained illegal immigrants
A federal court has denied the government’s claim that federal law allows indefinite detention for those awaiting immigration hearings. Now, the government has to release after six months maximum unless the government can show criminality or flight risk. http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Court-backs-detained-illegal-immigrants-4439722.php Related story: Courthouse News Service – Tim Hull Immigrants in Lengthy Holds Win Bond Hearings http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/04/16/56749.htm
CBC News – Katy O’Malley
Liberal MP wants proof omnibus crime bill made Canadians ‘safer’
MP and former Liberal Justice Minister Irwin Cotler wants the government to prove which streets and communities are made safer by the provisions of C-10. He wants to know about costs, too and he has put the question on the Order Paper for April 15. Under House rules, the government now has 45 days to respond. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/inside-politics-blog/2013/04/liberal-mp-wants-govt-to-prove-omnibus-crime-bill-made-canadians-safer.html
The Economist – H.G. Johnson
Language in prison: Solitary linguistic confinement
Given that the UN considers 15 days of solitary torture, Johnson thinks that solitary is created by language as well as by space. While there may be other humans close by, the inherent right of the human person to communicate may be at risk. http://www.economist.com/blogs/johnson/2013/04/language-prison
Civil Rights Project – Mara Schiff, Ph.D.
Dignity, Disparity, and Desistance: Effective Restorative Justice Strategies to Plug the ‘School-to-prison’ Pipeline
The document seeks to review the evidence of zero tolerance in school disciple and the effectiveness of restorative justice practices which appear to keep youth in school and out of the pipeline to prison. Full 18 page document available in pdf format:http://civilrightsproject.ucla.edu/resources/projects/center-for-civil-rights-remedies/school-to-prison-folder/state-reports/dignity-disparity-and-desistance-effective-restorative-justice-strategies-to-plug-the-201cschool-to-prison-pipeline/schiff-dignity-disparity-ccrr-conf-2013.pdf
Government of Canada
National Victims of Crime Awareness Week – April 21-27
The theme for the 8th annual National Victims of Crime Awareness Week that will be commemorated across Canada from April 21 to 27, 2013 is: We All Have a Role. http://www.victimsweek.gc.ca/home-accueil.html
Alberta Prime Time – Michael Higgins
Deportation outcry
Allison McConnell was deported from Canada after conviction and jail time for killing her two children. Panelists Rod Gregory, defense lawyer; Mark Cherrington, youth justice advocate; and Jason van Rassel, from the Calgary Herald wonder why the outcry from the justice minister? http://www.albertaprimetime.com/Stories.aspx?pd=5001
Deseret News – Celia Baker
More officers have been in public schools, but more kids have wound up in court
The presence of police in schools, rather than making the school safer, may have an unintended effect of criminalizing the discipline within the school for minor misbehaviour. In Texas alone, police have issued over 100,000 tickets a year, resulting in court appearance and sometimes a criminal record. http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865578279/More-officers-have-been-in-public-schools-but-more-kids-have-wound-up-in-court.html
Related story: N.Y. Times
With Police in Schools, More Children in Court
The Nation – Aura Bogado
Undocumented Youth Infiltrates Another Immigrant Detention Center
Claudia Muñoz wants to do it her way. A member of the National Immigrant Youth Alliance, Claudia, a 27 year old immigrant to the US from Mexico 11 years ago, decided to choose the time and place of her detention to help organize others in the detention center. http://www.thenation.com/blog/173825/undocumented-youth-infiltrates-another-immigrant-detention-center#