Mar 28, 2014
From the National Symposium in Ottawa…
Ottawa Citizen – Don Butler
‘Pay for success’ initiative charts new course for crime prevention – ‘The evidence shows that prison is a miserable failure’
Molly Baldwin, the CEO of Roca in Boston, is the advocate for the ‘pay-for-success approach to corrections. The approach gets capital from private investors, agrees on target objectives around recidivism and then collects payment from the state some time later for proven results. Using a four year model, the program engages youth at high risk for two years and then follows up for two years. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/success+initiative+charts+course+crime+prevention/9660733/story.html
Globe and Mail
Ruling on inmate’s transfer a victory for prisoners’ rights
The Supreme Court has ruled 8-0 in recognizing that habeas corpus offers a wide scope of protection of the right of prisoners to appeal around changes in their prison circumstances. “It’s an important counterbalance to a political agenda of undermining prisoners’ rights,” said Michael Jackson, UBC law professor and long time prisoner rights advocate. The B.C. Civil Liberties Association, sponsors of the lawsuit, with John Howard and Elizabeth Fry, called the case an “important chapter in the long and continuing struggle to ensure that the rule of law runs inside Canadian prisons.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/ruling-on-inmates-transfer-a-victory-for-prisoners-rights/article17692472 Supreme Court Ruling text: http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/13562/index.do
Hamilton Spectator – Susan Clairmont
How can we do better with policing and mental health?
The article reports on Canada’s first conference looking at policing and mental health. The conference brought together leaders in the policing community (Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police) with mental health agencies (Mental Health Commission of Canada) and academics to look at issues and practices when mental health and policing meet. The highlights suggest extensively diverse needs that will require attention and improvements. http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4432488-clairmont-the-will-to-bring-issues-of-mental-health-out-in-the-open-is-there
Boston Globe – Leon Neyfakh
The custom justice of ‘problem-solving courts’ – A new kind of court is reshaping the American legal system—with little oversight
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick has made state budget provisions for the introduction of eight ‘specialty’ or ‘problem solving’ courts. Even the harshest critics concede that re-offending is significantly less under the specialty courts than under a system calculated to simply process the case. Neyfakh, after a review of what is now and the trends, suggests oversight may be needed. http://www.bostonglobe.com/ideas/2014/03/22/the-custom-justice-problem-solving-courts/PQJLC758Sgw7qQhiefT6MM/story.html Related article: Boston Magazine – David Bernstein The Courts Must Be Crazy http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2014/03/25/demond-chatman-mental-illness
Association Québecoise Plaidoyer-Victims
La porte ouverte, la revue de l’association, nous présente des reflections sur les besoins des victimes d’actes criminels: Quelle place pour les victimes dans le système de justice? M. Patrick Altimas et Mme Arlène Gaudreault, et autres (ci-inclu M. Steve Sullivan), nous offrent des commentaries. http://www.asrsq.ca/fr/salle/porte-ouverte/1401/index.php
Star Tribune (MN) – Mark Brunswick and Alejandro Matos
Immigration judges in Minnesota face a 3,000 case backlog
One of three immigration judges in Minnesota, Judge William J. Nickerson has an enormous backlog, given the reduction in the number of judges (now at 249 nationally) as well as the steady increase (104% since 2006) of cases state-wide and nationally. The deportations since Obama took office are at 1.9 million. Critics say the problem is due directly to more enforcement and the ready access to government cash to pay for the enforcement. Measures to be selective about who to detain and deport are a blatant failure. http://www.startribune.com/politics/national/252997271.html