July 15, 2014
Globe and Mail – Colin Freeze and Josh Wingrove
Ottawa prepares to share personal data with foreign governments
Here is another case of a significant change buried in other legislation. This time Bill C-24, the new immigration bill passed last month, is giving the federal government power to decide without oversight what information it may share about Canadian citizens with foreign agencies and governments. Rules put in place to prevent another case like the Maher Arar, a wrongly accused, appear to be intentionally weakened by these powers. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/ottawa-eyes-new-powers-to-share-personal-information/article19582668
Globe and Mail – Patrick White
Solitary confinement for federal inmates often exceeds UN recommendations
The UN says two weeks is maximum without inflicting mental health damage or making worse an existing problem. White uses the death of Edward Snowshoe who endured 162 days before he hanged himself following what the inquiry judge called “administrative neglect.” The use of solitary is on the rise in Canada’s federal prisons and one of four in solitary are there for excess of 30 days. 11% are in solitary for between 60-120 days. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/solitary-confinement-for-federal-inmates-often-exceeds-un-recommendations/article19578141
Nation Talk
B.C. First Nation evicts CN Rail, logging companies, fishermen from its lands – CP
BC First Nations are wasting no time to establish their title to the land following the SCC ruling. The hereditary chiefs of the Gitxsan First Nations served notice of eviction on Thursday, July 10, to CN Rail, logging companies and sport fishermen. “The Northern Gateway project is going to be the first case where the implications of Tsilhqot’in will crystallize,” band lawyer Rosanne Kyle said. http://nationtalk.ca/story/b-c-first-nation-evicts-cn-rail-logging-companies-fishermen-from-its-lands-cp
The New Republic – Saul Elbein
Guatemalans Aren’t Just Fleeing Gangs – The media narrative misses what life there is really like
Many of the unaccompanied children fleeing to the US border are from Guatemala (others from Honduras). Elbein says there are in fact two governments and a failed state that create some of the circumstances that prompt the flight. “The only model of power that exists in Guatemala is, in other words, terroristic, extra-legal, and dominated by violence.” http://www.newrepublic.com/article/118675/child-migrants-guatemala-are-fleeing-more-just-gang-violence
Centre for Victims of Torture
UNHCR Seeks End to Detention of Asylum Seekers, Refugees
The UN High Commissioner for Refuges is advocating an end to the detention of all asylum seekers, stateless persons and refugees while they await status determination. In a new proposal recently released the UN is calling for a world-wide five year strategy to end detention for the people who likely have already endured considerably. http://blog.cvt.org/2014/07/14/unhcr-seeks-global-end-to-detention-of-asylum-seekers-refugees Related article: UNHRC Press Release – UNHCR calls for end to detention of asylum-seekers and refugees http://www.unhcr.org/53b550239.html
Taylor and Francis on-line
Women in prison
This link is to a page with considerable resources – Taylor and Francis provide access to journals – on the topic of women in prison, but there is a time limit on access: the end of September 2014. There are about 40 articles to access, international as well as domestic and on a considerably wide variety of specific focus. Thanks to Margo Van Sluytman for the link. http://explore.tandfonline.com/page/bes/women-in-prison