Dec 3, 2014
Toronto Star – Steve Rennie
Huge increase in number of aboriginal women in Canadian prisons
Kim Pate says that mandatory minimum sentences and more limited conditional release options are among the factors in the last ten years that saw the Aboriginal women imprisonment rate burst at the seems: 97% between 2002 and 2012. Aboriginal men saw an increase of 34%. The type of offense for the women is also startling: “Two out of every three aboriginal women were put into federal custody for violent crimes, such as assault, uttering threats, robbery, sexual assault, criminal harassment, forcible confinement and murder.” Pate wants prevention in the community. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/02/huge_increase_in_number_of_aboriginal_women_in_canadian_prisons.html
Globe and Mail – Jeffrey Simpson
Should Canada do a Uruguay on pot?
Uruguay with its 3.3 million population has introduced legalized marijuana in a format close to what Justin Trudeau is proposing for Canada. They see the effort as a means to reduce the use of the drug. The state now rigidly controls the distribution. Prior to this new legislation, as currently in Canada, everything around marijuana was a criminal offense. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/should-canada-do-a-uruguay-on-pot/article21886003
Toronto Star – Tim Harper
Without Parliament shooter’s video, we can only speculate
Yes, you can. No, you can’t. So goes the latest on the availability of the video of Michael Zehaf-Bibeau on Parliament Hill, leaving confusion about a number of details around the incident. Confusion also applies to the use of the incident and the alleged terrorist motives involved to expand the police powers. http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/02/without_parliament_shooters_video_we_can_only_speculate_tim_harper.html
CBC News – Andre Mayer
Good Samaritan Tugce Albayrak a true rarity, research says
The 23 year old German woman intervened when two men began harassing two younger girls at a MacDonald’s and the tensions spilled over to the parking lot where Albrayrak was struck on the head and collapsed. Family removed her from life support after two weeks in a coma. The case has prompted calls for national hero status as well as this summary of the research around heroic intervention in social conflict. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/good-samaritan-tugce-albayrak-a-true-rarity-research-says-1.2856034
CBC News – Keith Boag
Riot-torn Ferguson’s distrust of police flows from a city run on fines
Many smaller towns in Missouri are unincorporated suburbs of larger cities and they have a problem paying for any kind of services. The result is that many, like Ferguson, hire police and finance them and other services by collecting fines while they also collect the resentment of the people. Fines and court fees are the second highest source of revenue in Ferguson. Here’s a fresh explanation of the anger that fuels civil unrest when an incident like the Michael Brown killing flames up. http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/riot-torn-ferguson-s-distrust-of-police-flows-from-a-city-run-on-fines-1.2858208 Related article: Washington Post – Eugene Robinson What America’s police departments don’t want you to know http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-its-a-crime-that-we-dont-know-how-many-people-police-shoot-to-death/2014/12/01/adedcb00-7998-11e4-b821-503cc7efed9e_story.html Related article: Fox News Hundreds of homicides committed by police reportedly not included in national crime statistics http://www.foxnews.com/us/2014/12/03/hundreds-officer-involved-homicides-not-recorded-by-police-report-says
Herald (Halifax) – Paul MacLeod
Feds: Duty to vets ‘not commitments’
I would seem that the federal government is attempting to offer the old “I did not know the gun was loaded” defence to veterans and to the courts where the veterans are suing to end one lump sum payment for those disabled while under service. The government assessment of its repeated affirmation of its duty to care for the disabled vets: “These statements were political speeches not intended as commitments or solemn commitments.” http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1254977-feds-duty-to-vets-%E2%80%98not-commitments%E2%80%99
Criminological Highlights – Anthony N. Doob and Rosemary Gartner, Professors Centre for Criminology and Sociolegal Studies, University of Toronto
The electronic newsletter takes a series of current issues and offers the research perspective to date. The eight papers that are summarized in this issue address the following questions:
1. What is the effect of arresting a leader of a gang?
2. Can the police affect ordinary citizens’ level of
civic engagement?
3. How can high density police patrols be used to reduce crime?
4. Do police ‘stop, question, and frisk’ activities reduce crime?
5. Do Black and White Americans see crime in the same way?
6. Does the early release of drug offenders affect
their likelihood of re-offending?
7. Does getting a job stop serious offenders from re-offending?
8. Does restricting where sex offenders can live affect
future offending?
Smart Justice Network also offers its sincere congratulations to Professor Doob on his recent appointment to the Order of Canada for his contribution to criminology.
Link: http://criminology.utoronto.ca/criminological-highlights (Please note, at the point of this communiqué, the latest volume (14, V) is not yet on the web site but should be shortly. The link also offers a direct subscription to the Highlights.)
Guardian (UK) – US News – Tom Dart
Sane enough for Texas: the Lone Star State’s history of executing mentally ill inmates
Today Texas will execute Scott Panetti, an acknowledged seriously mentally ill man who killed his wife and two children while following orders from God to exorcise their demons. Panetti insisted on representing himself at trial and called Jesus as a witness. The Texas authorities denied appeal on his execution on Monday and barring intervention from Governor Perry will take place at 6PM. The US Supreme Court declared the execution of the mentally ill unconstitutional over 20 years ago but it stills happens in several states. http://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2014/dec/02/texas-execution-mentally-ill-history-scott-panetti Related article: Daily Journal (Nevada) Associated Press – Michelle Rindels Nevada audit: Death penalty cases more expensive than when capital punishment off table http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/b2d630c94a134462a8f8bbc2d8ae82e7/NV–Death-Penalty-Cost-Study
Reclaim Justice Network (UK): Deborah H. Drake and Neena Samota
Building collective capacity for policy change
Drake and Samota are calling intellectuals, academics and professionals to task for indifference to readily identified and commonly accepted needed changes, seeing engagement around criminal justice as one such perspective. They believe in an activist role for their colleagues. http://downsizingcriminaljustice.wordpress.com/2014/12/01/building-collective-capacity-for-policy-change/#more-3176