Police checks…

   Dec 4, 2014

 Toronto Star – Robert Cribb
Province to legislate what police can disclose about innocent Ontarians 

Long a sore point, the release of information about innocent individuals who have no convictions but are found for a variety of reasons in the police data banks is finally going to be regulated by law.  The interaction with police often produces a file, particularly in the case of mentally disturbed people; release of these files has ruined careers and personal lives with immunity from responsibility.  http://www.thestar.com/news/queenspark/2014/12/04/province_to_legislate_what_police_can_disclosure_about_innocent_ontarians.html?app=noRedirect   Related article: Toronto Star – Bruce Campion-Smith    RCMP accidentally sent woman’s assault complaint to media  http://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2014/12/03/rcmp_accidentally_sent_womans_assault_complaint_to_media.html?app=noRedirect

 Blacklock’s Reporter
Mountie Veteran Wins Ruling On Discrimination Allegation 

The RCMP is the only police force without a union since a 1920 law framed around police strikes at the time banned police union and obliged members to pursue what is a dysfunctional grievance process.  A federal court judge has agreed that Sgt Antonio D’Angelo has a right to step outside an ineffective grievance system and submit his case to the Human Rights Tribunal.  His lawyer is Louise Morel, a former RCMP Chief Superintendent.  http://www.blacklocks.ca/mountie-veteran-wins-ruling-on-discrimination-allegation

Globe and Mail – Associated Press (US)
New York‘s chokehold death: Protests renew U.S. debate on race and police 

Another Black man’s death in an encounter with NY police is prompting more anger and demonstrations as a grand jury returns a no bill verdict,  The perennial cell phone camera clearly shows a forbidden choke-hold on the victim who also had asthma and a heart condition.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/protesters-chant-i-cant-breathe-after-grand-jury-does-not-indict-in-chokehold-death/article21944971   Related article:  Globe and Mail – Margret Wente    The two conflicting narratives of Ferguson    http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe-debate/the-two-conflicting-narratives-of-ferguson/article21944551

 Globe and Mail – Diana Mehta, Canadian Press
Court dismisses Ottawa’s appeal to scrap lawsuit on aboriginal ‘60s scoop’ 

The ‘scoop’ refers to the period between 1965-1985 when child welfare agencies gathered up hundreds of Aboriginal children and placed them in foster homes.  The Aboriginals applied for a certificate for a class action lawsuit against the feds and the federal government asked the courts to deny the application.  Justice Ian Nordheimer of the Divisional Court and two other justices ruled the lawsuit can go ahead.  http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/court-dismisses-ottawas-appeal-to-scrap-lawsuit-on-aboriginal-60s-scoop/article21949614

 Vancouver Sun – Tara Carman
Man hospitalized after harming himself in CBSA custody (with video) 

Only a few months after the suicide in custody of Lucia Vega Jimenez, Human Rights advocates are upset that a second incident, this time and attempt warranting hospitalization, is coming to light  through the media.  Canadian Border Services appears to dispute the suicide attempt but conceded a detainee was hospitalized and further refused to disclose the eventual outcome of the detention.  “It is troubling that another self-harm attempt by an immigration detainee is only now coming to light as a result of media reports,” said Josh Paterson, executive director of the B.C. Civil Liberties Association.  Paterson wants an independent supervision of the detention facilities and practices.    http://www.vancouversun.com/news/hospitalized+after+harming+himself+CBSA+custody+with+video/10437781/story.html#ixzz3KwpmLajO     Related article: Vancouver Sun – Tara Carman    Lucia Vega Jimenez: Border services information censorship exposed – How the CBSA dodged questions involving an in-custody suicide   http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Lucia+Vega+Jimenez+Border+services+information+censorship+exposed/10437597/story.html#ixzz3KwsvheWA     Related article:  National Post – Stewart Bell    Feds to move ahead with deportation proceedings against man they describe as ‘integral’ member of Pakistani terror group   http://news.nationalpost.com/2014/12/03/feds-to-move-ahead-with-deportation-proceedings-against-man-they-describe-as-integral-member-of-pakistani-terror-group

Global News (BC) – Cam Fortems
B.C. teens sentenced for sexting case  

Three teenage boys who requested nude photos from girls and were charged with distribution of child pornography but were fortunate enough to get a judge who saw the prank as considerably exaggerated in the charge.  Reduced to a guilty plea for harassment, Judge Roy Dickey called the actions “immature and demeaning,” and gave a conditional discharge.  http://globalnews.ca/news/1705223/b-c-teens-sentenced-for-sexting-case

 CNET (Australia) – Claire Reilly
Children’s e-Safety laws target social media and cyber bullying 

Australia federal government is defining cyberbullying as “seriously threatening, seriously intimidating, seriously harassing or seriously humiliating” to Australians under the age of 18 on social media or through digital communication.”  The onus for enforcement , beyond a children’s e-safety commissioner, seems to rest as much with the social media sites and the penalty can be as much as $17,000 per day for such a message left on the site.   http://www.cnet.com/au/news/childrens-e-safety-laws-target-social-media-and-cyber-bullying    Related article: Institute for Public Affairs   (Australia)    Censorship no solution to cyberbullying    http://www.ipa.org.au/publications/2300/censorship-no-solution-to-cyberbullying:-ipa

 CTV News –  Stephanie Levitz
Prostitution law comes into force on day of action on violence against women 

The federal government’s new prostitution law – surely to be challenged soon after – has one more hurdle to overcome: the supreme irony of being declared into law the same day that the country remembers the Montreal massacre and its specific violence against women.     http://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/prostitution-law-comes-into-force-on-day-of-action-on-violence-against-women-1.2131581#ixzz3Kx9NMxiA

Ed note: 

Professor Doob’s Criminological Highlights – and subscriptions – are now available at:  http://criminology.utoronto.ca/criminological-highlights

 

Porte Ouverte (volume XXVII, numéro 1)

Ce numéro a pour thème Vieillir et mourir en prison : refuser l’inacceptable.

– Délinquants âgés et vieillissants dans le système correctionnel fédéral (éditorial par Howard Sapers, Enquêteur correctionnel du Canada)

– Vieillir en prison : les influences du temps et de l’espace (par Joane Martel, professeure titulaire en criminologie, Université Laval)

– Incarcération et vieillissement : pour une planification stratégique ! (par Michel Gagnon, directeur, Maison Cross Roads)

– Nos aînées incarcérées : une population bien trop longtemps oubliée (par Claire Guenat, candidate au M.Sc. Criminologie, Université de Montréal)

– Le Service Oxygène: quelle belle expérience ! (par Gilles Thibault, ex-coordonnateur du Service Oxygène)

– “Je pense que mon âge est probablement l’élément le plus important avec lequel je dois composer”: sortir de prison âgé (par Melissa Munn, professeure au département de sociologie et d’études interdisciplinaires, Okanagan College)

Articles hors-thème:

– L’évolution des droits des Victimes d’Actes Criminels (VAC) dans notre système de justice (par le sénateur Pierre-Hugues Boisvenu)

– Paroles d’intervenants : la réinsertion sociale, ça fonctionne ! (entrevue avec Stéphane Laurence, coordonnateur du Service Oxygène)

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