June 5, 2013
CBC News
Drug injection sites: New rules
The federal government anticipates introducing new rules around the placement of a safe drug injection site. Though Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal have voiced an interest, given a Supreme Court ruling allowing the Vancouver site to operate, Vancouver is still the only place with an actual site. The report is a 2 minute video and thus far there are no drafts or proposals for the changes from government. http://www.cbc.ca/player/News/Canada/ID/2389612127
CBC News
Psychiatrist wary of Not Criminally Responsible proposal
The psychiatrist who evaluated and treated Vince Li thinks that the new elements about NCR treatment in Bill C-54 are more likely to turn mental hospitals into prisons, shifting at once to punishment of patients rather than treatment of the illness that brought them into conflict with the law. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/06/04/pol-stan-yaren-ncr.html
The Daily Beast – Caitlin Dickson
Extreme Solitary Confinement: What Did Bradley Manning Experience?
Here’s a chilling description of ‘extreme solitary confinement’ as practiced on WikiLeaks defendant Bradley Manning at the marine base at Quantico. Craig Haney, a University of California (Santa Cruz) psychologist and specialist on the effects of solitary imprisonment, offers an analysis. http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2013/06/05/extreme-solitary-confinement-what-did-bradley-manning-experience.html
Prison Reform Trust (UK)
Where do you stand? What can I do?
PRT has just published two downloadable pdf’s. Where do you stand? is a community discussion starter and guide around issues about incarcerated parents. In the UK, there are more children impacted by an incarcerated parent than by divorce. The second, What can I do?, seeks to expose myths about the operations of prisons and the treatment of inmates. http://www.prisonreformtrust.org.uk/TalkingJustice
New Jersey.com – Seth Augenstein, The Star-Ledger
Marijuana and race: ACLU finds blacks in New Jersey arrested at 3 times the rate of whites
So, marijuana arrest is a matter of colour as well as mass incarceration! Stats are suggesting that going to jail for possession of marijuana is three times as likely if you are Black rather than White in New Jersey, four times at the national level. http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2013/06/marijuana_and_race_aclu_finds.html Opps! Iowa too! Guardian (UK) related article: Black people in Iowa singled out in marijuana arrests, data suggests http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2013/jun/04/iowa-racial-disparity-marijuana-arrests
The Nation
Disclosure Shows Private Prison Company Misled on Immigration Lobbying
No we don’t! Yes, we do! Private prison operators Geo Group Inc. had made a statement that they would not / do not lobby over matters involving immigration detention. They in fact paid for Navigators Global, an elite lobby firm founded by Republicans, to pursue federal appropriations for detainees. http://www.thenation.com/blog/174628/disclosure-shows-private-prison-company-misled-immigration-lobbying#ixzz2VIaSt9dz
Huffington Post – Elise Foley
ACLU Sues Border Patrol, Immigration Officials over Voluntary Departures Program
ACLU lawyers claim that the 400,000 plus undocumented immigrants deported in 2012 were lied to by officers in order to get them to sign away their legal rights and go quietly. A 3 ½ minute video explains how voluntary departure works. http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/06/04/aclu-voluntary-departures_n_3384191.html Related article: UPI Report: Hundreds of juveniles in adult immigration detention http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2013/06/04/Report-Hundreds-of-juveniles-in-adult-immigration-detention/UPI-80091370379811/#ixzz2VIf6BaFV Related article: Salt Lake Tribune – Brooke Adams ACLU of Utah files federal lawsuit over use of tear gas in prison’s mental health unit http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/news/56406088-78/inmates-gas-complaint-prison.html.csp Related article: Deseret News Utah prison inmates sue officers after tear gas seeps into cells http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865581136/Utah-prison-inmates-sue-officers-after-tear-gas-seeps-into-cells.html
Bangor All News (Maine) – Judy Harrison
State on edge of moving from punitive criminal system to restorative justice, conference attendees told
This second Restorative Justice Conference included speakers from California, Vermont, Nova Scotia and the UK and nudged the state closer to a new approach to justice. The institute saw about 100 corrections personnel attending under the theme “Realizing our Vision of a Restorative State.” http://bangordailynews.com/2013/06/04/news/midcoast/state-on-edge-of-moving-from-punitive-criminal-system-to-restorative-justice-conference-attendees-told
The Inquisitr – Wisconsin
Ordinance Tickets Parents Of Chronic Bullies
People in the suburb of Monona have passed an ordinance that allows the city to issue a warning to parents or guardians of bullies and if a re-offence occurs in 90 days the parents can be fined $114. http://www.inquisitr.com/686034/ordinance-tickets-parents-of-chronic-bullies
Atlantic Journal – Andrew Cohen
What President Obama’s Mental Health Summit Left Out
Cohen charges that by leaving out treatment and health care for people in federal prison Obama is ignoring the most egregious cases of mental health neglect and abuse in the US. http://www.theatlantic.com/national/archive/2013/06/what-president-obamas-mental-health-summit-left-out/276512