Sept. 8, 2014
Toronto Star – Graham Slaughter
Lives of Ontario LGBT cops revealed in new study
Joe Couto works for the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police as the director of government relations and communications. The thesis for his Master’s in Communication from Royal Roads involved interviewing some 21 LGBT officers in Ontario police forces. Though conditions are improving for the LGBT officers, there remains, says Couto, “a police culture that retains a hyper masculine and heterosexual orientation.” http://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2014/09/08/lives_of_ontario_lgbt_cops_revealed_in_new_study.html Original Thesis document: Covered in Blue: Police Culture andLGBT Police Officers in the Province of Ontario http://dspace.royalroads.ca/docs/bitstream/handle/10170/736/couto_joe.pdf?sequence=1
Health Medicine Network – Dan Whitcomb
California sued over pepper-spray death of mentally ill prisoner
The parents of Joseph Duran, 35, are suing the state of California over the death of their son – from pepper spray – and attempting to cover up the failure of the guards to assist the inmate. Duran was severely mentally ill at the time and was breathing through a tracheostomy tube in his throat. He was pepper sprayed through the food tray opening in the door for refusing to extend his hands for handcuffs. Parents found out about his death from a newspaper four months after the Correctional authorities cremated Duran’s body. http://healthmedicinet.com/i/california-sued-over-pepper-spray-death-of-mentally-ill-prisoner Related article: Public Interest Law Reporter: Emily Coffey Madness in the Hole: Solitary Confinement and Mental Health of Prison Inmates http://lawecommons.luc.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1033&context=pilr Related article: The Guardian (UK) – Ed Pilkington Angola Three inmate in longest solitary confinement seeking damages in court http://www.leaderpost.com/health/Crown+appeal+seeks+designate+woman+dangerous+offender/10179971/story.html
Huffington Post (Canada) – Amanda Reaume
Why I’m Willing to Pay More Taxes for Mental Health Services
The author is the founder of GenYFinancial Planning and offers her experiences with a friend whose suffered from severe depression after losing a job and faced with over a year of mounting debt. Reaume discovered that depression is one of the life-threatening illness in Canada that requires that one be rich to get proper treatment. Given that so many are afflicted, why not pay some more taxes for a compassionate answer to mental illness and inclusion in other social health programs? http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/amanda-reaume/mental-health-canada_b_5780264.html
Aljazeera
UN study details widespread abuse of children
A United Nations report from 190 countries says that 120 girls were forced to have sex and that 91,000 children were murdered in 2012. The report of 206 pages is called Hidden in Plain Sight: A statistical analysis of violence against children and was recently released by UNICEF. http://www.aljazeera.com/humanrights/2014/09/un-study-details-widespread-abuse-children-20149572948385432.html Full report (downloadable pdf – executive summary available as well): http://www.unicef.org/publications/index_74865.html Related article: Houston Chronicle (TX) – Guillermo Contreras Feds release 7-year-old immigrant girl with cancer for treatment http://www.houstonchronicle.com/news/article/Feds-release-7-year-old-immigrant-girl-with-5732146.php
Hamilton Spectator – Nicole O’Reilly
Red Devils: A glimpse into Hamilton’s oldest outlaw biker gang
Identified as the oldest biker gang in Canada, the Red Devils Motorcycle Club were founded in 1949 but older members and police both have agreed they are both aging and milder than the days when they saw themselves as “partying club with a motorcycle habit.” The Red Devils, police say, are still into anything that can make them money, only now they are smart enough to get others to do the dirty work. http://www.thespec.com/news-story/4822130-red-devils-a-glimpse-into-hamilton-s-oldest-outlaw-biker-gang
Leader Post (Regina) – Betty Ann Adam, Star Phoenix
Crown appeal seeks to designate woman as dangerous offender
The Crown is appealing against a refusal by provincial court Judge Sheila Whelan to designate Marlene Carter, a mentally ill and self-harming inmate, declared a dangerous offender. Carter was charged with 19 offences, 18 of which followed her arrest and were assaults against employees at the Regional Psychiatric Centre (RPC) during her time on remand. Following her transfer to Brockville Treatment Centre, Carter’s health and behaviour both improved making the Crown decision to appeal the dangerous offender status a bit of a mystery. http://www.leaderpost.com/health/Crown+appeal+seeks+designate+woman+dangerous+offender/10179971/story.html
Ottawa Crime Prevention
In Love and In Danger – En amour et en danger
In association with the school boards and Family Services Ottawa, the Crime Prevention Council is confronting the potential for abuse in dating relationships with this 5 ½ minute video. The outreach is intended for a two year run. http://www.crimepreventionottawa.ca Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7E6_KOGvi1Y