Oct 8, 2013
Calgary Herald – Dean Bennett, The Canadian Press
Edmonton Max inmates say forced to participate in sadistic prison fight club
Five inmates at Edmonton Maximum Security Prison have filed a lawsuit naming the warden, guards, supervisors, and medical staff for allowing and pressuring inmates to participate in a ‘fight club.’ The list of abuses includes an allegation that guards waited for an inmate to die after a knife fight before calling for medical assistance. http://www.calgaryherald.com/news/Edmonton+inmates+forced+participate+sadistic+prison+fight+club/9007268/story.html#sthash.Ag74zWDo.dpuf
Phys.org (UK) –
People with mental health problems at high risk of being victims of crime
The new study, called At Risk, Yet Dismissed, shows that people with severe mental illness are much more likely to be victims of crime than the average person in the population. In a base of 361 persons with severe mental illness diagnosed, 45% reported victimization in the last year; women were 10 times more likely to have experienced assault; 62% of the women reported sexual assault as an adult. Further, in interaction with police, significant numbers report that police were unfair or disrespectful. http://phys.org/news/2013-10-people-mental-health-problems-high.html Related article: Victim Support (UK) Higher risk of crime for people with mental health problems http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/atriskyetdismissed Summary Version (20 pages) in PDF of the Report: At Risk, Yet Dismissed http://www.victimsupport.org.uk/~/media/Files/Publications/ResearchReports/1393_MHJR_summary_final_lores.ashx (Recommendations are on p. 12 – Full report also available in PDF download)
Global TV News (Toronto) – Canadian Press
Protests planned for detained migrants at Ontario jail
Protests are planned across Ontario by a group called End Detention Now on behalf of 191 people held in cells for 22 hours a day in Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay. Some have been in detention for five-seven years; the protests are scheduled for Guelph, Kitchener, Lindsay, London and Toronto. http://globalnews.ca/news/888714/protests-planned-for-detained-migrants-at-ontario-jail/?utm_source=facebook-twitter&utm_medium=link&utm_campaign=community
New Hamburg Independent (ON) – Scott Miller Cressman
Travelling theatre troupe tackles restorative justice for New Hamburg audience
The performance called Forgiven/Forgotten is performed by a group of students from Conrad Grebel College at the University of Waterloo and is sponsored as well by the Mennonite Central Committee as part of the RJ week. At the end of the play, the actors ask the audience some questions about the play’s theme: How the community responds to a newcomer with criminal baggage. http://www.newhamburgindependent.ca/whats-on/travelling-theatre-troupe-tackles-restorative-justice-for-new-hamburg-audience/
Restorative Works – Joshua Wachtel
How parents can use restorative questions
This video offers suggestions of how the typical questions of RJ processes may be helpful in acquiring parent skills for talking with your children. The video – 3 minutes – comes from Real Justice Australia by Vic and Elizabeth O’Callaghan. http://restorativeworks.net/2013/10/video-parents-use-restorative-questions /?utm_source=eForum+Weekly+Highlights+October+8%2C+2013&utm_campaign=Weekly+eForum+Highlights&utm_medium=email
Correctional Services Canada (CSC)
Restorative Justice Week 2013 – Nov. 17-24
Inspiring Innovation is the theme for this year. CSC is suggesting that we approach municipal authorities to have the week endorsed in our cities and towns. CSC also offers a package of RJ materials for use in marking the week. http://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/restorative-justice/003005-2000-eng.shtml
NBC News (Boston, MA) – Miranda Leitsinger
Goodbye zero tolerance: Program aims to cut ‘school-to-prison pipeline’
Long acknowledged as a major factor in the school to prison pipeline, Zero Tolerance which leads to excessive suspension, expulsions and drop-outs, is being replaced by at risk student guidance, conflict resolution and peer-to-peer counselling. Charlestown High School offers a “Diploma Plus” to its graduates who follow the RJ program. http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2013/10/08/20858492-goodbye-zero-tolerance-program-aims-to-cut-school-to-prison-pipeline?lite
Bloomberg Business Week (US) – Lorraine Woellert and Victoria Stilwell
Gatsby Stays on Farm as Income Gap Limits Social Mobility
For some time commentators have been explaining the problems around the gap in income equity. This article tackles the question of how the wage stag-flation and loss of assets (e.g. ownership of houses and higher tuition costs) will impact the chances of a poor person’s opportunity of ever becoming even middleclass. http://www.businessweek.com/news/2013-10-08/gatsby-stays-on-farm-as-income-gap-limits-u-dot-s-dot-social-mobility