Aug 30, 2014
Globe and Mail – Sean Fine
Conservatives’ crime bill endangered by ‘administrative error’
Thanks to Ms Mary Campbell, retired Public Safety department’s director-general of the corrections and criminal justice directorate, an error in the version of Bill called the Fairness for Victims Act. The private member’s bill has sweeping changes for the parole system – impacting possibly on 16,000 of the federal system’s 23,000 inmates – and somehow the House sent the wrong version to the Senate. No one seems to know how the problem will play out. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/tory-crime-bill-endangered-by-administrative-error/article20230160
Global TV News – Anna Mehler Paperny
Health officials starved of census data pay for local info of their own
Fears around census data at Stats Canada as inadequate to allow accurate public policy decisions around health care are surfacing, particularly in smaller communities where officials are starting to pay for local data or commission studies to support their decision making. Users are blaming the loss of the long form census. http://globalnews.ca/news/1528225/why-lost-long-census-hurts-your-health-and-your-tax-dollars
Toronto Star – Editorial
Toronto must stop rise in child poverty – A new study finds Toronto is tied with Saint John, N.B., in having the highest poverty rate among 13 cities
Poverty rates among children are on the rise again after a short period of reduction in the rate. The high in 2004 was at 32%; then the rates fell to 27% in 2010 and now the rates are back at 29%. Advocates still recall the 1989 House of Commons resolution to end child poverty by 2000. Adequate and available child care is a critical tool in the fight but that too has lost ground. The Conference Board of Canada has given us a “C” for the effort to eliminate poverty. http://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2014/08/27/toronto_must_stop_rise_in_child_poverty_editorial.html
Share – Tom Godfrey
Support worker struggles to help Black inmates
Ken Williams is a John Howard institutional support worker for black inmates working at two Toronto area prisons. There are over 1400 Black inmates with 60% in Ontario. He works on programs inside such as life skills and on efforts to re-integrate the inmates on release. According to Howard Sapers, the Correctional Investigator, visible minorities have increased by 75% in the last ten years; Aboriginal by 46.4%. http://sharenews.com/support-worker-struggles-to-help-black-inmates
CTV News – Jordan Chittley
Report recommends more police training for dealing with mentally ill
As anticipated the Mental Health Commission of Canada (MHCC) has submitted a report to the Canadian Association of Chiefs of Police around the training offered to front line police officers for crisis intervention with the mentally ill. http://www.ctvnews.ca/health/report-recommends-more-police-training-for-dealing-with-mentally-ill-1.1978377#ixzz3BhjGQHAu MHCC press release: MHCC report outlines training and education recommendations to improve interactions between police and people with mental illness http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1403418/mhcc-report-outlines-training-and-education-recommendations-to-improve-interactions-between-police-and-people-with-mental-illness Full Report (94 page pdf) TEMPO: Police Interactions A report towards improving interactions between police and people living with mental health problems http://www.mentalhealthcommission.ca/English/system/files/private/document/TEMPO%20Police%20Interactions%20082014.pdf Related article: CBC News 5 key cases of police shooting deaths involving mentally ill individuals – Mental Health Commission of Canada releases recommendations on improving police interactions http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/5-key-cases-of-police-shooting-deaths-involving-mentally-ill-individuals-1.2748257 Related article: Globe and Mail – Dene Moore Interactions between police, people with mental illness on the rise http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/interactions-between-police-people-with-mental-illness-on-the-rise/article20221770
Toronto Star – Michelle Rindels And Jacques Billeaud
Uzi killing in Arizona throws spotlight on rising gun tourism
The death of a firearms instructor while instructing a 9 year old girl in the use of an Uzi machine gun has highlighted the practice of gun tourism or people looking for gun thrills not available at home. While there is much discussion of the wisdom framing the incident, there has been little concern raised about the impact on and how to care for the nine year in the light of her experience. http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/08/28/uzi_killing_throws_spotlight_on_rising_gun_tourism.html
Canadian Housing and Renewal Association (CHRA)
Housing for All: Sustaining and Renewing Social Housing for Low-Income Households
Recognizing the end of many federal agreements on social housing across Canada and recognizing that the municipal or provincial governments can not confront the fiscal implications of social housing, the CHRA is calling for federal re-investment in housing. The 33 page report includes the history of social housing and the crisis facing the near expiry of many of the agreements around housing. The report has three major recommendations. http://www.chra-achru.ca/media/content/A%20Review%20of%20Housing%20Policy.pdf Related article: This Magazine – Yutaka Dirks Housing is a human right http://this.org/magazine/2014/08/20/housing-is-a-human-right
Penal Reform International (PRI)
An update on General Comment No.1 on the African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child: official launch and Short Guide
PRI has pronounced (and worked with) this group in framing this guide and its launch on the Children of Incarcerated and Imprisoned Parents and Primary Caregivers. Adopted in November of 2013, the documents are now available in English. https://mail.google.com/mail/u/0/?tab=wm#inbox/1481c62e799c34fc African Committee of Experts on the Rights and Welfare of the Child http://acerwc.org/the-committees-work/general-comments
The Bay State Banner – Imara Jones
At last: Common-sense ideas to stop income inequality
Jones reflects on the fact that the US mayors and Standard and Poor have both concluded that the problems prompted by income inequality are home grown and can be reversed. The urgency in addressing the issues is particularly pressing for the poor and ethnic communities at the bottom of the income divide. http://baystatebanner.com/news/2014/aug/27/last-common-sense-ideas-stop-income-inequality