Dec. 29
From Senator Kim Pate – On solitary detention for youth and the Universal Basic Income
“Family doctors agree that the solitary confinement of youth should be abolished under all circumstances. A measure that compromises the physical and mental health of youth has no place in Canada.” #EndTorture #StopSolitaryForKids
Related article: John Howard Society – “Shouldn’t the YCJA, which sets out required levels of security for youth corrections, be amended to prohibit the abusive solitary confinement of youth?” https://twitter.com/JohnHoward_Can/status/1476197190938906626?s=03
CP 24 – Kelly Geraldine Malone, The Canadian Press
Police shootings in 2021: Experts say number in Canada remains too high
32 deaths in 2021 from police shootings and what a breakdown! Mostly young men, 50% involved Indigenous people, 17% Black, 26% of the police calls were over weapons (over half a knife, 31% a firearm), domestic assault was second most frequent reason for call, and in four deaths the police were there for a wellness check. https://www.cp24.com/news/police-shootings-in-2021-experts-say-number-in-canada-remains-too-high-1.5720459?cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email Tweet from Waubgeshig Rice “A tragic reality of being Indigenous is enduring and expecting the early deaths of loved ones. Others don’t understand the grief many of us constantly carry.” CBC News: Canadian Press Year in review: Still too many police shootings in Canada, experts say – Despite calls for more police accountability, little has changed since 2020 https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/canada-year-end-police-shootings-1.6298888
Twitter from Alec Karakatsanis (US)
THREAD. The current celebration in the media of armed police as the liberal response to lack of housing, healthcare, and other inequality caused by the hoarding of wealth has the chance to be a watershed moment of consciousness for many ordinary people. https://twitter.com/equalityAlec/status/1475960302894264321?s=03
Health care for persons incarcerated has long been a note-worthy issue without any resolve in the US or in Canada. The articles below report on a US federal Court ruling ordering lingering health issues to be resolved with time limits and specific directions, a genuine break through.
Beth Shelburne (@bshelburne) · Twitter
“A federal judge issues a 3-part 610-page opinion in the landmark Braggs v. Dunn case filed over lack of mental healthcare in Alabama prisons, ordering ADOC (Alabama Department of Corrections) to fill all mandatory and essential posts by July 2025 & hit yearly benchmarks in addressing “extraordinary understaffing.” (Scroll down for the string of Tweets re: Braggs v. Dunn) Related article: Southern Poverty Legal Center (SPLC) Braggs, et al. v. Jefferson Dunn, et al. https://www.splcenter.org/seeking-justice/case-docket/braggs-et-al-v-jefferson-dunn-et-al Case text: IN THE DISTRICT COURT OF THE UNITED STATES FOR THE MIDDLE DISTRICT OF ALABAMA, NORTHERN DIVISION https://www.splcenter.org/sites/default/files/documents/the_opinion.pdf Related article: Washington Post (US) – Brian Chappatta, Bloomberg Which Bank Will Dare to Finance Alabama’s Prisons? https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/which-bank-will-dare-to-finance-alabamas-prisons/2021/12/22/d015ad98-631e-11ec-9b51-7131fa190c5e_story.html
John Howard:
Inmates being tested after 38 staff members positive for COVID-19 at Drumheller Institution
https://twitter.com/JohnHoward_Can/status/1476189852131598338?s=03
Delaware Public Media (US)
Police reform advocates react to Lymond Moses report.
Delaware Campaign for Smart Justice manager Haneef Salaam says this report exposes the vast protections officers receive. https://www.delawarepublic.org/delaware-headlines/2021-12-21/flawed-and-dangerous-culture-police-reform-advocates-react-to-lymond-moses-report
CNN (US)
Thousands of inmates released because of pandemic will be allowed to remain on home confinement, Justice Department says (US) https://www.cnn.com/2021/12/21/politics/inmates-pandemic/index.html
Filter Magazine (US): Rory Fleming
The Lack of Prosecutor Accountability Behind Trucker’s 110-Year Sentence https://filtermag.org/prosecutor-accountability-trucker-110/
Pew Research: 20 findings about 2021 (US) – Katherine Schaeffer
https://www.pewresearch.org/fact-tank/2021/12/17/striking-findings-from-2021/ (Cf https://www.pewresearch.org/publications/ for a listing of recent Pew Research findings)
Pew Research: 17 advanced economies and Political change: Richard Wike, Janell Fetterolf, Shannon Schumacher and J.J. Moncus
Citizens in Advanced Economies Want Significant Changes to Their Political Systems Dissatisfaction with functioning of democracy is linked to concerns about the economy, the pandemic and social divisions https://www.pewresearch.org/global/2021/10/21/citizens-in-advanced-economies-want-significant-changes-to-their-political-systems/?utm_campaign=2021-12-22+Rundown+-+EOY+edition&utm_medium=email&utm_source=Pew&subscriberkey=00Q0P00000oErugUAC
New Jersey Radio 101.5
If convicted felons in NJ can vote, why can’t they be on a jury?
The question is logical but also challenging since it invites “change from the inside.” https://nj1015.com/if-convicted-felons-in-nj-can-vote-why-cant-they-be-on-a-jury/?trackback=twitter_mobile&utm_source=tsmclip&utm_medium=referral
Aljazeera News: https://www.aljazeera.com/
India restricts foreign funding for Mother Teresa’s charity – Move to block foreign funds of the Missionaries of Charity comes after Hindu right-wing groups disrupt Christmas celebrations.
Prime Minister Modi has no answer about why Mother Teresa’s charities are doing all this work and the government is not. Likewise, if the charities close down there is no suggestion that Modi will now do the work. https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2021/12/27/india-freezes-accounts-mother-teresa-charity-hate-attacks-christians
Interrupting Criminalization (US) Abolition Imagination Cards by Mariame Kaba and coordinated by Micah Bazant
The link offers a series of cards designed by Prison Culture in a 5×7 format, free to use (please credit the artist). The cards may also offer a few words of inspiration for the New Year. https://www.interruptingcriminalization.com/imagination