Nov 10, 2016
Ottawa Citizen – Cassandra Szklarski, The Canadian Press
The anxiety and stress Remembrance Day holds for many damaged soldiers
Retired general Romeo Dallaire has announced his intention to resign from the senate as well but first offers us some insight about the painful experience that many former soldiers feel in reliving their combat experiences during Memorial Day Remembrance services. Dallaire came back to civilian life after the Rwanda genocide and suffered greatly from the mental anguish, courageously seeking help in a public way in an effort to make the transition easier for other veterans. http://www.ottawacitizen.com/health/anxiety+stress+remembrance+holds+many+damaged+soldiers/12357463/story.html
National Newswatch – Allison Jones
Federal corrections watchdog to lead Ontario segregation review
Federal Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers has been asked to do the Ontario review on the practice of solitary or administrative segregation in the provincial jails recently announced by Correctional Services Minister David Orazietti. Sapers, a long-time critic of the federal system’s practice of solitary, has been given wide access and the appointment is effective Jan 1 with an immediate report within 60 days and a final report later in the spring. Critics are somewhat puzzled that the Ontario minister anticipates two or perhaps three years before legislative changes can be applied. http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2016/11/08/federal-corrections-watchdog-to-lead-ontario-segregation-review-2/#.WCI2Ji0rKUk
MacLean’s – Canadian Press
Kellie Leitch latches on to Trump victory
Some in the conservative leadership race are already creating lightning strikes by their call for “Canadian values.” Kelly Leitch, who also continues to support the barbaric customs line, is in the forefront of an effort to define the Conservative agenda in imitation of the values we have seen in the recent US election. “On Facebook and in emails to supporters overnight, Leitch hailed Trump’s presidential victory as an “exciting message that needs to be delivered in Canada as well.” http://www.macleans.ca/politics/ottawa/kellie-leitch-latches-on-to-trump-victory/
Canadian Observatory on Homelessness / Homeless Hub – John Ecker
How do LGBTQ2S adults enter and exit homelessness?
Ecker says that it is commonly accepted that the LGBTQ (Lesbian, Gay, Bi-sexual, Trans-sexual, Queer) community is over-represented among the homeless youth in Canada and presents a study to suggest that the adult homeless population at risk may also reflect a higher percentage. The homeless adult is already a higher HIV risk. Ecker is interested in how one enters and exits this special sub-group of the homeless population. http://homelesshub.ca/blog/how-do-lgbtq2s-adults-enter-and-exit-homelessness Related article: The Homeless Hub – The State of Homelessness in Canada http://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/SOHC16_final_20Oct2016.pdf (An 85 page downloadable pdf)
Blogger Russell Webster (UK)
New Hestia app helps those in abusive relationships
Hestia is the larger provider of shelter for abused women in London and they have just made available an app (either iOS or Android) called ‘Bright Sky’ to help women to guide resources and get help quickly for an abusive relationship. The app is oriented toward self-help or help for someone else. For self-help, the app has four categories: Am I at risk, My Journal, Nearby Help, and Domestic Abuse Information. A second section deals with getting help for someone else: Family or Friend at Risk, Myths, How can I help? And Resources. The app includes a one button 911 call. http://www.russellwebster.com/hestia-app-abusive-relationships/
Prison Reform International and Just Detention International – New expert blog on sexual violence in detention – Linda McFarlane, Jesse Lerner-Kinglake
The Prison Rape Elimination Act and beyond: sexual violence in detention
Penal authorities have long known that sexual violence is widespread in some prisons and not in others. In 2003, the US passed the Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA) to address the problem. Statistics collected by the Bureau of Prisons under the act have revealed that over 200,000 inmates annually are sexually abused. The report says that badly run prisons are the most egregious offenders. https://www.penalreform.org/blog/prison-rape-elimination-act-beyond-sexual-violence-detention/ Related article: PRI – Harvard Gazette – Youth justice study finds prison counter-productive http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2016/10/youth-justice-study-finds-prison-counterproductive/
US Election Reflection:
“I imagine that one of the reasons that people cling to their hates so stubbornly is because they sense, once hate is gone, they will be forced to deal with pain.” –James Baldwin