April 15, 2014
Victoria Times Colonist (BC) – Katie DeRosa
Victims’ rights bill lacks resources, critics say
The Victims Bill of Rights has lots of promises but no new money to fund the services or the RJ processes. Mary Campbell, a 30 year retired civil servant, former director general of Corrections Services and the criminal justice directorate, says “My reaction is the emperor has no clothes … there’s nothing there… About 80 per cent is a restatement of existing law and practices,” she said. “Where are the services? Where are the real services and programs that would help victims? They’re simply not in here.” http://www.timescolonist.com/news/local/victims-rights-bill-lacks-resources-critics-say-1.953722
CBC News – Timothy Sawa
Prisoners given powerful drugs off-label, allegedly to ‘control behaviour’
Women inmates in Canada’s federal prison system are frequently given drugs to control their behaviour. In 2002 Corrections Canada pronounced as excessive the use of psychotropic medications on 42% of inmates. In 2013, the rate has climbed to 63% who get prescriptions for dangerous drugs with well known side effects. How bad is it? One former inmate: “The one thing with prison is that they like to heavily medicate people, and I’m a prime example,” one of the women interviewed for the study said. “Seroquel, stuff like that. I was on a lot of medications. I was a walking zombie. I could not function. I do not remember half of my time.” http://www.cbc.ca/news/prisoners-given-powerful-drugs-off-label-allegedly-to-control-behaviour-1.2609940
CBC News
Stony Mountain prison in lockdown after inmate fight erupts
A medium security prison north of Winnipeg, Stoney Mountain is in lockdown indefinitely after seven inmates, thought to be from rival gangs, were injured, five with stab wounds and two with blunt force trauma. http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/stony-mountain-prison-in-lockdown-after-inmate-fight-erupts-1.2610108 Related article: Metroland Media – Travis Mealing, Midland Mirror Province ‘bargaining in bad faith,’ says CNCC workers’ union http://www.ourwindsor.ca/news-story/4464056-province-bargaining-in-bad-faith-says-cncc-workers-union
Globe and Mail – Josh Wingrove
Senate panel sets up confrontation with Harper on Elections Act
A partisan senate is what we expect in these recent years but the unanimous recommendation for changes in the Fair Elections Act in spite of a Tory majority on the committee shows some signs of what the senate was meant to be. While not binding in themselves, the recommendations are a declaration that the senate would change Bill C-23 unless the government does so before passing the bill. Resistance to the bill has been widespread, from experts and all sorts of political commentators, including former auditor general Sheila Fraser. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/senate-flexes-muscles-over-fair-elections-act/article17955323
Canadian Law Times
Panel considers bid for restorative justice for lawyers
A panel of lawyers for the Law Society of Upper Canada has heard a request to abandon the usual practice of disbarment for a lawyer guilty of real estate fraud in favour of a restorative justice process. It would mean scrapping a zero-tolerance policy. The lawyer was charged with repeated offences. And the panel refused the request after considering arguments about whether circumstances play a larger role than character and whether character can be reformed. http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201404143915/headline-news/panel-considers-bid-for-restorative-justice-for-lawyers
Impunity Watch (Burundi) – David Taylor
Victim Participation in Transitional Justice Mechanisms: Real Power or Empty Ritual?
The increasing use of transitional justice in the face of horrendous crimes has prompted this group to ask the effectiveness of the approach, especially for victims of the crimes. The 2014 plan anticipates studying TJ applications in five international settings to measure the outcomes of what the study terms ‘assumptions’. The project will examine events in Burundi, Cambodia, Guatemala, Honduras and Kenya. The project is detailed in a 44 page pdf at the link below. http://www.impunitywatch.org/docs/IW_Discussion_Paper_Victim_Participation1.pdf
Sunday Herald (Scotland)
Women’s prison population rises by 120%
Since 2000, women have been imprisoned at alarming rates, especially since there was also an effort to reduce reliance on prisons. Offenses remained the same – dishonesty, common assault or breech of the peace, or drugs – and the frequency of offences are about the same. Lisa Mackenzie, spokeswoman for Howard League Scotland, said: “We have yet to see the necessary shift from custody to community-based disposals.” http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/crime-courts/womens-prison-population-rises-by-120-x.23946173 Related article: Sunday Herald Scotland Locking women up not answer http://www.heraldscotland.com/news/home-news/locking-women-up-not-answer.23945452
Bard College (N.Y.)
Bard Prison Initiative marks 10th Anniversary
With about 275 inmates – men and women – enrolled in its college education programs, Bard Prison Initiatives celebrated its 10 anniversary with a promise from Governor Cuomo to expand the effort to make college education available to inmates across the state. The link offers a 12 minute video of the program. http://bpi.bard.edu