April 7, 2017

Chronicle Herald (Halifax)

Nova Scotia prisoners start online petition against ‘excessive’ prison call charges

Prisoners of North East Nova is the name of a group of provincial inmates in Nova Scotia trying the do something about excessive charges for telephone services.  The services are provided by a Texas company called Synergy.  Beyond the high rates for local and long distance calls, the inmates are taxed when family or friends provide funds to finance the phone calls:  15% if you leave the money on a visit or 22% if you deposit the funds on-line.  http://thechronicleherald.ca/novascotia/1456306-nova-scotia-prisoners-start-online-petition-against-%E2%80%98excessive%E2%80%99-prison-call-charg  To read the text of the petition and sign the petition:  https://www.change.org/p/petition-to-the-minister-of-justice-province-of-nova-scotia-exploitive-phone-costs-in-nova-scotia-provincial-jails

Homeless Hub (Canada)  #youthwithouthome  Policy Brief Series – Kaitlin Schwan, Sean Kidd, Stephen Gaetz, Bill O’Grady, Melanie Redman

Mental Health Care for Homeless Youth

This is a proposal from the Homeless Hub and A Way Home to the federal and provincial governments for a targeted investment policy to confront the estimated 6,500 youth daily without homes – 50,000 annually – who comprise 20% of Canada’s homeless population.  The proposal insists that mental health and homelessness are powerfully linked.  (Link is a 25 page downloadable pdf)  http://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/YouthMentalHealth_Policy_Brief.pdf    Executive Summary:  (3 page downloadable pdf)   http://homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/YouthMentalHealth_Executive_Summary.pdf   Related article: Institute for Children Poverty and Homelessness (N.Y.)  More Than a Place to Sleep: Understanding the Health and Well-Being of Homeless High School Students   (A 28 page downloadable pdf)  http://www.icphusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/ICPH-MTAPTS-Report-Web.pdf   Related article: Hamilton Spectator- Matthew Van Dongen     Council shifts $50M anti-poverty plan into an affordable housing initiative   http://www.thespec.com/news-story/7228007-council-shifts-50m-anti-poverty-plan-into-an-affordable-housing-initiative/

Memorial University Gazette – Marcia Porter

All around the circle – Restorative justice puts relationships first in N.L. schools

Led by Dr. Dorothy Vaandering, an associate professor in the Faculty of Education at Memorial, and called Relationships First, the outreach is illuminating the potential for the principles of restorative justice to inform every day relationships through schools and to impact positively the lives of students and families alike.  Says Vaandering:  “I’ve seen the devastation of harm, and the wonder of healing. I’ve seen both sides. Relationships First: Restorative Justice in Education is not about behaviour and social control. It’s about how we thrive when we are in relationship with one another. It’s a philosophy, a way of being.”   https://gazette.mun.ca/teaching-and-learning/all-around-the-circle/

CBC News – Alison Crawford

Mandatory education on sexual assault law a hot topic at school for new judges

The pressure on the judiciary over controversial sexual assault rulings and comments has led to a new prominence at judge’s schools.  At a gathering of new federal judges in Quebec, “retired B.C. Supreme Court Judge Lynn Smith told the new appointees that, even though the rates of violent crime are falling, the number of reported sexual assaults remains steady. Not only that, conviction rates for sexual assault fall far below those for other violent crimes.”    http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/judges-school-sexual-assault-laws-justice-1.4056483   Related article: CTV News – Don Martin  Senate doesn’t have the constitution to oust Don Meredith  http://www.ctvnews.ca/politics/don-martin-blog/don-martin-senate-doesn-t-have-the-constitution-to-oust-don-meredith-1.3357954    Related article: Toronto Star – Alyshah Hasham   Wait for counselling for sexual assault survivors in Peel is about to get longer   https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2017/04/06/wait-for-counseling-for-sexual-assault-survivors-in-peel-is-about-to-get-longer.html

Toronto Star – Editorial (April 7, 2017)

Police oversight report provides good road map for Ontario

After the death in a police shooting of Andrew Loku, a mentally ill South Sudanese man, the Wynne government appointed Justice Michael Tulloch to investigate how to make Ontario’s three over sight bodies more “transparent and accountable.”  Tulloch has tabled 129 specific recommendations, including three major prescriptions: public reports, power to charge non-co-operating officers and collection of demographic data including race, ethnic and mental health info.  https://www.thestar.com/opinion/editorials/2017/04/06/police-oversight-report-provides-good-road-map-for-ontario-editorial.html    Related article: Toronto Star – Wendy Gillis and Jacques Gallant    https://www.thestar.com/news/crime/2017/04/06/judges-report-recommends-more-powers-for-ontario-police-oversight-bodies.html   Text of full report (Downloadable pdf)  Report of the Independent Police Oversight Review  The Honourable Michael H. Tulloch   https://www.attorneygeneral.jus.gov.on.ca/english/about/pubs/police_oversight_review/   Ottawa Citizen – David Reevely   Stronger police discipline, better police boards are key to rebuilding police respect   http://ottawacitizen.com/news/local-news/reevely-stronger-police-discipline-better-police-boards-are-key-to-rebuilding-police-respect