Sept. 5, 2013
Toronto Star – Louie Rosella
Family of 80-year-old question why she was tasered
Shortly after Madelaine Meilleur announced that all police officers would be able to carry tasers, an 80 year old suffering from dementia and walking in the middle of the street at 3 AM was confronted by three Peel police officers and tasered. When she collapsed, she broke her hip. http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2013/09/04/family_of_80yearold_question_why_she_was_tasered.html
Toronto Star – Jane Gerster
Prison yoga, meditation classes to expand across Canada
Sister Elaine MacInnes of the Congregation of Our Lady of Mercy has handed a thriving prison ministry in yoga to John Howard Society in anticipation of her 90th birthday and her retirement to a Toronto Convent of her congregation. MacInnes has done like work for prisoners in both the Philippines and the UK and has been awarded the Order of Canada after earning the designation of Zen Master. “My philosophy has always been to accept just what you have in front of you, and that means accept the person and accept them for how they are, but also where they’re at in prison,” MacInnes said. http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/09/05/prison_yoga_meditation_classes_to_expand_across_canada.html
Two events hosted by Transforming Communities in Ottawa:
The Circle of Hope – Richard Jackman & Cynthia Stirbys
Saturday, September 7th, 9.00am- 12.30pm. Registration, 8.30. Christ Church Bells Corners, 3861 Old Richmond Rd, Nepean.
Educating for Peace – Daniel Stringer, Hon.David Kilgour, June Girvan, Douglas Cardinal
Multi-cultural Panel – Is Tolerance Sufficient to Nurture the Family of Humankind in Canada: Or does Multiculturalism require more? Aboriginal Panel – Sisters In Spirit: The Cry of the Lost Aboriginal Women across Canada Ottawa Travelodge Hotel – 1376 Carling Ave., Ottawa, ON, K1Z 7L5 Saturday,October 5th, 9:00 A.M. to 4:00 PM. (Luncheon is included).
Registration from 8:30 A.M Fee: $40 per individual, $70 per couple
Contact: Michael MacIntyre, Cell: 613-286-4106
Law Times (Aug 19, 2013)
Program aims to bring aboriginal offenders into community
Founded in 1990 at a week-end retreat of elders, the Aboriginal Legal Services of Toronto Community Justice Program asks the accused to acknowledge the responsibility for the harm and to prior agreement to the decision of the council as conditions for diversion from the criminal courts system. Colette McCoombs, Executive Director says:“The lack of representation gets so severe that ‘people are just pleading guilty because they just want to get it over with.’” http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201308193388/headline-news/program-aims-to-bring-aboriginal-offenders-into-community
John Howard Society (Ontario) – Michelle Keast
The Centre of Research, Policy & Program Development is pleased to announce the launch of our new report on bail in Ontario, entitled “Reasonable Bail?” The release of the report is timely given the recent media attention around overcrowded provincial prison conditions. Despite the pressures associated with overcrowding and high remand rates, bail as a source of and possible solution to the issue, has been largely ignored. “Reasonable Bail?” highlights some trends around bail in Ontario, and provides a number of recommendations on how to improve bail processes, both in terms of efficiency and respect for due process rights. Please feel free to distribute widely.
Press release: http://johnhoward.on.ca/pdfs/Press%20Release%20of%20JHSO%20Bail%20Report%20FINAL.pdf Full Report: http://johnhoward.on.ca/pdfs/Reasonable%20Bail%20-%20JHSO%20Report%202013%20final.pdf
Yorkshire Post (UK) – Kevin Bales
The Shocking Scale of Modern Day slavery is Revealed
Human trafficking is the focus of this report outlining the under reporting of trafficking in human beings, particularly for the sex trade. The focus is to create a Global sex slavery picture through research across Europe. The article introduces the term ‘a dark figure’ as the difference between occurrence and reported incident. http://www.yorkshirepost.co.uk/news/debate/columnists/kevin-bales-the-shocking-scale-of-modern-day-slavery-is-revealed-1-6015761
L.A. Times – Carol J. Williams
India ‘dowry deaths’ still rising despite modernization
In an effort to extract a greater dowry from the parents, brides are dying by ‘bride burning’ at a rate of about one every hour in India. Torture is even more prevalent. Even though the India Dowry Protection Act was passed in 1961, the practices continue through force of tradition, now helped by a growing middle class and increasing wealth. http://www.latimes.com/world/worldnow/la-fg-wn-india-dowry-deaths-20130904,0,7340130.story