July 8, 2013
Vancouver Province – Sam Cooper
Aboriginal youth who made suicide pact live to see dangers rise in toxic DTES environment
A seven minute video about the discovery of a Facebook suicide pact among 30 Aboriginal youths. A commentary by Scott Clark of ALIVE, and others, puts some parameters around the problems and the lack of movement to solutions. http://www.theprovince.com/news/Aboriginal+youth+made+suicide+pact+live+dangers+rise+toxic+DTES+environment/8623658/story.html
Stouffville Sun-Tribune (ON)
Prison performances opened actors’ eyes – Stouffville troupe at Toronto Fringe Festival
Four of their 34 performances of the play “Forgiven/Forgotten” were performed inside prisons. Playwright Johnny Wideman, working with the Mennonite Central Committee, researched the play by attending RJ encounters for offenders. “Prisoners are not hateful but fearful and they “just want to be seen as humans and (they) do make mistakes,” Mr. Wideman said. The performances are still in Toronto, Winnipeg and Edmonton. http://www.yorkregion.com/whatson-story/3881801-prison-performances-opened-actors-eyes
Chronicle Herald News (Halifax)
Cyberbullies branch out
A new report issued by Mediabadger is suggesting that Facebook is one of the lesser used sites for cyberbullying. Heard of Tumblr or Chatroulette? A few other sites much less well known are much more common. http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1140177-cyberbullies-branch-out
Coming Home 2013
Spirit Justice: Global Indigenous Restorative Justice Conference
Justice, Reconciliation, Forgiveness, Peace. November 3-6 (2013) in Abbotsford, British Columbia – Tradex Exhibition Centre. Event detail: http://restorativejustice2013.eventbrite.ca
BC and Canadian Criminal Justice Association Conference
21st Century Justice: the Economics of Public Safety.
Oct. 2-5, 2013 Vancouver Hyatt Regency Conference schedule and full detail at:http://bccjanewsletters.wordpress.com/2013/06/30/june-2013-vol-5-2-edition Future updates through CCJA Site at: http://www.ccja-acjp.ca/en
Ottawa Citizen – Gary Dimmock
Omar Khadr assaulted at Edmonton prison
28 Year old Omar Khadr, transferred to the Edmonton Institution at his own request for safety reasons was assaulted by a fellow inmate on June 14, a month after the transfer. His lawyer says that someone has taken out a contract on Khadr’s life. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Omar+Khadr+assaulted+Edmonton+prison/8622896/story.html
Las Vegas Sun (Nevada) – Karoun Demirjian
Eight immigrants driving Reid’s support for immigration reform
The controversy about immigration reform has involved an endless parade of numbers. Senator Harry Reid wanted to bring the immigrants “out of the shadows.” The article has the stories of eight immigrants in Nevada who will be impacted by the reform legislation. http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2013/jul/07/seven-immigrants-driving-reids-support-immigration/#ixzz2YNsCO3om
Public Health Wales (UK)
Health Needs Assessment highlights the issue of mental health in prisons
The assessment is consequent to the introduction of the Mental Health Measures Act in 2012. The prisons are viewed as an excellent opportunity to both identify and treat mental illness. The unification of mental health services across the prison system is a key recommendation to allow the services, once identified as needed, to follow the prisoner in transfers to other institutions. http://www.wales.nhs.uk/sitesplus/888/news/27951
Anniston Star (Alabama) – Tim Lockette
Criminal contaminant? Research suggests link between lead and crime rates
Here is another report of a connection between the lead levels and the crime rate. “Lead is linked to the destruction of reasoning faculties, to a quick fuse and lower tolerance for frustration, ” said Norton, director of the Maryland-based non-profit Coalition to End Childhood Lead Poisoning.” The problem of heavy lead presence in the environment has been consistently linked to upswings in crime rates. http://annistonstar.com/view/full_story/23065427/article-Criminal-contaminant–Research-suggests-link-between-lead-and-crime-rates?instance=top_center_featured
Huffington Post (Denver) – Nicholas Riccardi
Crime Making a Comeback as a Political Issue
Colorado’s Governor John Hickenlooper, a Democrat, is up for re-election next year and already the Republican campaign is focused on Hickenlooper’s decision to suspend the death sentence and other measures such as limiting the state’s power to charge juveniles and refusing a law for mandatory minimums and another to take DNA samples from anyone arrested on suspicion of a felony. More to come, for sure! http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/07/06/crime-makes-halting-comeb_0_n_3554719.html
The Times Picayune (New Orleans) – John Harper
Ice cream lovers bewail! When ice creams sales are up in New Orleans, so is the incidence of homicide! The stat is often used by academics to explain that when two events occur simultaneously, there is no necessary causal relationship. Wouldn’t it be terrible if some inane interpretation led to banning ice cream! http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2013/07/ice_cream_and_crime_where_hot.html