What price, what security?

 Mar 6, 2014

 Toronto Star – Richard J. Brennan
Pan Am Games security costs jump again, but province won’t say why 

 The original price tag was $113 million.  Then the cost went to $206 million.  Now it’s at $239 million and shows no signs – or rationale for stopping.  The province says that the price is a moving target and that increased threat would mean more security needed.  The games, scheduled for 2015, are not yet at the point of contracting for the security.  Total costs are estimated at $2.5 billion.  http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/03/03/pan_am_games_security_price_tag_jumps_to_239_million.html   Related article:  Toronto Star – Richard J. Brennan    Pam Am athletes will be protected at any cost: Michael Chan    http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/03/04/pam_am_athletes_will_be_protected_at_any_cost_michael_chan.html  

 Ottawa Citizen – Don Butler
Program to help prevent sex offender recidivism loses funding – Correctional Services Canada axes money for Circles of Support and Accountability

 The decision by CSC to axe the financial support of $665,000 for 17 operations in nine provinces is still incomprehensible.  The CoSA operation is achieved almost entirely with volunteers (over 700) and has become a model in other countries.  Public Safety Canada’s Crime Prevention Centre has been engaged in an evaluative report but it is not yet completed.  Says Bob Cormier of the CoSA Board, and former executive director of Crime Prevention:  “If we have a program that’s working to reduce the likelihood of victimization by these individuals (sex offenders), then presumably it’s in the interests of CSC and society generally that (Correctional Service Canada) provide that support.”  CoSA works with over 200 offenders across Canada.http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Program+help+prevent+offender+recidivism+loses+funding/9583668/story.html  

CBC News – John Bowman
Ontario police defend use of drone cameras over protests 

 At a supposed cost of $30,000 each, this blog reports that the OPP and the RCMP in BC and Saskatchewan are using the unmanned vehicle for surveillance.  Considered for the G-20 protests in Toronto, Transport Canada does not allow them over populated areas and police feared a public outcry.  This blogger report suggests their use is currently against Aboriginal protestors in Ontario.  No one seems to know how many there are or where they may have been already deployed.  There has been some speculation that they are also currently used in US / Canada border security.  http://www.cbc.ca/newsblogs/yourcommunity/2014/03/ontario-police-defend-use-of-drone-cameras-over-protests.html

 Kitchener-Waterloo Record – Catherine Thompson
Turning ideas about crime and imprisonment inside out 

 Laurier University has a rather unique program called Inside-out in which prison inmates sit through classes with regular university students, but the classes are held within the prison.  Under the Social Work faculty, Laurier started in 2011 with ten social work students from the university and seven inmates at Grand Valley Institution for Women. http://www.therecord.com/news-story/4392835-turning-ideas-about-crime-and-imprisonment-inside-out

 Medical Daily (US) – Matthew Mientka
Torture: How Solitary Confinement Affects the Mind 

 Estimates are that 80,000 inmates (25,000 in SHU, 55,000 in standard isolation) are held in solitary cells, such that the “Special Housing Units” or SHU is now used in describing the symptoms (SHU syndrome) of the experience following prolonged use.  The health impact includes “mental decompensation, clinical depression, psychosis, self-mutilation, and suicide.”  http://www.medicaldaily.com/torture-how-solitary-confinement-affects-mind-270597  

Science Codex (US) – University of Chicago
Program to move families out of high-poverty neighborhoods has mixed results 

 A University of Chicago study on the impact of physically moving poor families who volunteer to a better neighbourhood has shown startling gender differences in later years.  Boys have increased PTSD and increased misconduct; girls have reduced depression and reduced misconduct.  And the differences are massive for both boys and girls, compared in the case of the boys to combat PTSD levels.  The study considered over 4600 families in Baltimore, Boston, Chicago, Los Angeles and New York.  The study follow-up came 10-15 years after the move.  http://www.sciencecodex.com/program_to_move_families_out_of_highpoverty_neighborhoods_has_mixed_results-129061  Journal of the American Medical Association: Abstract and Article – –  Ronald C. Kessler, PhD, et al    Associations of Housing Mobility Interventions for Children in High-Poverty Neighborhoods With Subsequent Mental Disorders During Adolescence  https://jama.jamanetwork.com/article.aspx?articleid=1835504&atab=8   

St. Croix Valley RJ (US)) – Blogger Kris Miner
Creating Restorative Justice Peacemaking Circles how and why the relationship value question matters

 Here’s a suggestion on how to get restorative justice circles focused on relationship and why the relationships are essential for making the circles work.  http://circle-space.org/2014/03/05

 CBS News (Menlo Park, CA) –
Facebook bankrolls cop near its Calif. Headquarters 

 City council has accepted an offer from Facebook whose HQ is in Menlo Park to pay $200,000 a year for the next three years for a community safety officer from the city police force.  The practice raises concerns about access to police and possible conflict of interest, given the additional income from other than the tax base.    http://www.cbsnews.com/news/facebook-bankrolls-police-officer-near-california-headquarters

 Holland Sentinel (MI) – Editorial
Our View: The best anti-gang strategy may be giving a teen a job

 Here’s a practical editorial on youth gangs and crime: give the young people a job!  They earn some money, their time is occupied and they have a chance to accept and learn about responsibility.  What a novel solution!  How are we in Canada doing with youth employment?  http://www.hollandsentinel.com/article/20140306/Opinion/140309497#ixzz2vC7OE5U9

 ACLU (Maine)
Maine to Examine Prison Health Care

 At the urging of the ACLU and several community and faith based organizations, the state legislature has decided on a review of the health services for prisoners.  Recognizing that the health services are particularly vulnerable to cost-cutting, the group has provided eight areas of concern in the delivery of health services.  http://www.correctionalnews.com/articles/2014/03/5/maine-examine-prison-health-careLetter with eight areas of concern to the state legislators:  http://www.aclumaine.org/sites/default/files/uploads/Request_OPEGA_Review_Prison_Healthcare.pdf