Oct. 9, 2013
Toronto Star – Nicholas Hune-Brown
Kingston Penitentiary’s brutal legacy
When this notorious and brutal prison closed last week, the United Way of Kingston sold 9,000 tickets almost overnight for tours of the testimony given to our most inhumane treatment of inmates imaginable. Hune-Brown raises the spectre of that cruelty in the context of the impetus today for the increasing use of solitary. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/commentary/2013/10/07/kingston_penitentiarys_brutal_legacy.html Related article: Globe and Mail Deborah Melman-Clement Can Kingston Pen convert to a literal tourist trap? http://www.theglobeandmail.com/report-on-business/industry-news/property-report/can-kingston-pen-convert-to-a-literal-tourist-trap/article14724080/
Toronto Star – Jim Rankin and Patty Winsa
Toronto police board asks for public input on carding
John Sewell, a former mayor of Toronto and head of the Police Accountability Coalition is not happy with the efforts of the Toronto police to avoid facing the ‘carding’ issue by a decision to consult the public, to review after 18 months, to do training with officers who show bias, or to scrape the data after seven years. For Sewell, the issue is not procedure but the rightness of the practice in the face of the discrimination it creates. http://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2013/10/07/toronto_police_board_asks_for_public_input_on_carding.html#
Fox News (US) – Melissa Chrise
ObamaCare to shift costs of some prisoner health coverage from states to feds
Brad Brockmann, executive director of the Center for Prisoner Health and Human Rights at Brown University, thinks ObamaCare will provide a shift from state to federal medical care for prison inmates and that the shift affords the chance to deliver health care to the neediest. http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2013/10/08/obamacare-to-shift-costs-prisoner-health-coverage-from-states-to-feds/
Barrie Advance (ON) – Laurie Watt
Community safety zones grow to 75 in Barrie
Here’s a simple recognition of what community safety means in Barrie. With 60 elementary school zones where the speed limit (and hefty fines) is 40 KMH, the city has added 15 more speed zones. “We do not receive any complaints or concerns with the existing community safety zones, other than requests to implement more of them,” said Steve Rose, Barrie’s transportation planning supervisor. http://www.simcoe.com/news-story/4145230-community-safety-zones-grow-to-75-in-barrie/
Eglinton St. George’s Speakers’ Series (Toronto)
A Justice System for a Just Society
Speakers:
Kevin Page Sunday Oct. 27th @12:30 Former Parliamentary Budget Officer of Canada Introduced by The Hon Bob Rae The Fiscal Cost of Canada’s Criminal Justice System
Howard Sapers Sunday Nov. 24th @12:30 Correctional Investigator of Canada Federal Corrections in Canada – An Ombudsman’s View
Dr Lori Triano-Antidormi Sunday Jan. 26th @12:30 Lori is a psychologist who works with family members of homicide victims. She is also the mother of 2 1/2 year old murder victim, Zachary Antidormi. Victims in the Criminal Justice System – What Do They Need?
The Hon. Roy McMurtry Sunday Feb. 23rd @12:30 Former Chief Justice and Attorney General of Ontario Reflections of Our Justice System
All at the St. George United Church – 35 Lytton Blvd, Toronto (Yonge & Eglinton area) For more Information call 416-782-7478 or email to jimwblack@gmail.com
Leader-Post (Regina) – Pamela Cowan
Stopping violent criminals from re-offending
Hired this past July by the Canadian Mental Health Association’s Saskatchewan division as director of the Justice Community Support Program, Kim Hoffman works to provide community workers for offenders with mental health issues likely to lead to violent re-offending. The program for violent recidivism is likely the only one in Canada. http://www.leaderpost.com/health/Stopping+violent+criminals+from+reoffending/9013316/story.html
Systems Enhancement Evaluation Initiative
Building Bridges between the Community Mental Health and Justice Sectors: A Work in Progress
The key message summary and the recommendations for improvement are found on page 1 of this e-health report on the encounters between the mentally ill and the justice system in Ontario. The second link is directly to the e-health page. http://eenet.ca/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/10_09_Building-Bridges-Supp-Report-FINAL.pdf (Final report in PDF format, 12 pages) Ontario Mental Health and Addictions Knowledge Exchange Network https://www.ehealthontario.ca/portal/server.pt/community/systems_enhancement_evaluation_initiative/1402
National Newswatch – Canadian Press
Toronto judge acquits census refusenik
Among so many other stories of mistreatment for our elderly, here is a story to restore your faith in common sense as a justice ingredient, though heaven only knows why it wound up in court! Hats off to 89-year-old peace activist and World War II veteran Audrey Tobias on her refusal to comply against her conscience! Hats off as well to the Toronto judge who put an end to the foolishness! http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2013/10/09/ruling-due-today-in-census-refusenik-case/#.UlV5dFBwo8t