Nov. 20, 2013
Brandon Sun – Ashley Prest
Choice for safer society offered – Reconciliation rather than just punishment
The Indian and Metis Friendship Centre in Winnipeg helped celebrate RJ week at a kick-off event for community and cultural groups, law enforcement and faith organizations. Says Ken Kuhn, a retired prison chaplain and member of the Manitoba Multifaith Council’s justice and corrections committee, “The alternate vision has to do with reconciliation rather than just punishment, with getting people back into the community rather than excluding them from the community and helping to restore broken lives and broken relationships.” http://www.brandonsun.com/breaking-news/choice-for-safer-society-offered-232305171.html
Chronicle Journal (Thunder Bay) – Carl Clutchey
Justice programs in focus
Nishnawbe Aski Legal Services executive-director Celina Reitberger reminded participants in a Thunder Bay Justice Summit of the problems around removing the main family support consequent to minor crime and imprisonment, especially when the offender comes from remote areas. “Reitberger said proposals to save the province money by making remote court schedules more efficient should be ploughed into traditional healing circles where offenders and victims come to a mutual agreement on non-custodial sentences.” http://www.chroniclejournal.com/content/news/local/2013/11/20/justice-programs-focus
La porte ouverte – (ASRSQ)
Médias, opinion publique et criminalité
L’Association des services de réhabilitation sociale de Québec announce leur revue la plus récemment en matière de justice pénale. Cette edition s’occupe de l’opinion publique. http://www.asrsq.ca/index.php
ITV (UK)
Police ‘massaging crime statistics’, MPs told
The British House of Commons Public Administration Committee has been told that police in England routinely massage the crime stats so as to make their forces look better in the public eye. “Committee chairman Bernard Jenkin said he was “shocked that apparently such manipulation of police statistics could possibly happen on such a wide scale and become so institutionally prevalent”.” http://www.itv.com/news/update/2013-11-19/police-massaging-crime-statistics-mps-told
American Public Health Association (APHA)
New policy statements address paid sick leave, access to nature, solitary confinement and more
At its annual conference in Boston, the APHA has passed three significant policy changes around justice issues. The first asks that the practice of solitary confinement be recognized as debilitating of mental health and stopped. The second, around re-entry after prison, asks that housing and support services be enhanced. The third, around drugs use, notes that treatment is often inaccessible and asks that the current practices be reviewed while identifying drug addiction as a health issue. http://www.apha.org/about/news/pressreleases/2013/2013adoptedpolicystatements.htm
Federal Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers to speak in Toronto Sunday November 24th @ 12:30 at Eglinton St George’s Church (Lytton and Duplex).
Howard Sapers will be talking on the impact of legislative changes on our federal prison system. After a successful political career in Alberta, Howard worked for the National Crime Prevention Centre and in 2005 was appointed to be the ombudsman for federal offenders, reporting to Parliament annually. He will discuss the role, mandate and priorities of his office and speak to the relevance and need for prison oversight, focusing on the impact of recent policy changes on federally incarcerated populations, with a focus on women offenders, Aboriginal offenders and offenders with mental health needs. Contact: Dan Lang, Compassionate Justice Group, Eglinton St George’s Church, 416-488-1838