Nov 29, 2022
Blogger Russell Webster (UK) –
Restorative Justice saves money – Why me? Economic Evaluation of Restorative Justice found that the cost-social benefit of RJ was £14 for every £1 invested
The Why me? in the UK has tabled a report on a cost appraisal of restorative justice vs the usual approach and has an astonishing conclusion. “A new (21 November 2022) economic evaluation of Restorative Justice by the charity Why me? compares restorative interventions for victims of crime and offenders with the conventional justice system. The research analysed the economic impacts of Restorative Justice interventions, including impacts on reoffending and its direct benefits to victims…. The results of this research present a strong argument for investment in Restorative Justice, showing that Restorative Justice can reduce reoffending, save money and help victims to recover. This is before accounting for the broader benefits of Restorative Justice in improving perceptions of justice amongst victims and society.” https://www.russellwebster.com/restorative-justice-says-money/ Full Report: Why me? Economic Evaluation of Restorative Justice https://why-me.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/Why-Me-RJ-Economic-Evaluation-Technical-report-2022-v3.pdf (A 73 page downloadable pdf)
National News APTN – Kenneth Jackson and Josh Grummett
Root Causes: The inside story of Indigenous street gangs in Winnipeg
The link offers a perspective of violence, abuse and despair growing up in Winnipeg and creating an expectation that the first goal to achieve was time in a maximum security prison. Gang member and now Bear Claw volunteer Tim Barron tells an APTN crew about his life on the streets and the hurdles encountered. “I felt that neglect and that abandonment and I didn’t think I was good enough,” he said. “I still feel that abandonment, except I can deal with it in a healthy way today. Before, I would just get triggered by it and then I would run to my old behaviors and old patterns.” https://www.aptnnews.ca/investigates/gangs-winnipeg-indigenous-jail-poverty/
The Conversation (Queen’s) – Kathryn Tomko Dennler and Brianna Garneau
How the Canada Border Services Agency tolerates and even encourages refugee mistreatment
The link offers a succinct explanation of the processes involved and why the Canadian Border Services Agency (CBSA) has consistently failed in according full human rights to refugees. “Refugee advocates have long known about systemic problems with immigration enforcement in Canada, resulting in wrongful detentions and deportations, as well as people being tortured upon return to their countries of origin… Our new research explains why these problems exist… Flaws in Canada Border Services Agency’s (CBSA) structure and mandate mean that misconduct is tolerated and even incentivized. Independent oversight of CBSA and legislative changes are needed to protect refugee rights.” https://theconversation.com/how-the-canada-border-services-agency-tolerates-and-even-encourages-refugee-mistreatment-193881?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20Canada%20for%20November%2028%202022&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20Canada%20for%20November%2028%202022+CID_5689d7831214c69715f6e247d8bc362a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=How%20the%20Canada%20Border%20Services%20Agency%20tolerates%20and%20even%20encourages%20refugee%20mistreatment Related article: The Conversation (Queen’s) – Emma Stirling-Cameron and Shira Goldenberg The detention of migrants in Canadian jails is a public health emergency https://theconversation.com/the-detention-of-migrants-in-canadian-jails-is-a-public-health-emergency-194968?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20Canada%20for%20November%2028%202022&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20Canada%20for%20November%2028%202022+CID_5689d7831214c69715f6e247d8bc362a&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=The%20detention%20of%20migrants%20in%20Canadian%20jails%20is%20a%20public%20health%20emergency Related podcasts: The Conversation (Queen’s) – Don’t Call Me Resilient (A podcast series of commentaries on a variety of current topics. So far – How to decolonize journalism ; Why isn’t anyone talking about who gets long COVID? ; The unfairness of the climate crisis ; Cf for a perspective on the series: https://dont-call-me-resilient.simplecast.com/episodes/trailer-season-4-dont-call-me-resilient
Vancouver Sun –
Human Rights Commissioner wants cops out of B.C. schools – “I strongly recommend that all school districts end the use of SLOs until the impact of these programs can be established empirically.” — B.C. Human Rights Commissioner
The controversy has been simmering for some time and is tied to the Vancouver police department budgeting to cover the costs of the school liaison officer, a program seeking a come-back. “SLO programs typically place uniformed police officers in district high schools. Officers deliver safety and crime prevention lessons, coach teams, counsel students, escort field trips, and serve as in-school law enforcement. Critics say the programs reinforce systemic racism and do nothing to improve safety in schools.” https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/b-c-s-human-rights-commissioner-calls-for-an-end-to-the-school-liaison-officer-program
The Marshall Project (US) – Christie Thompson
As Police Arrest More Seniors, Those with Dementia Face Deadly Consequences – Many cities are changing how they respond to mental health calls, but less attention has been paid to the unique risks for people with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.
While both the imprisonment and the arrest stats are going down in the US as the fights around mass incarceration win some ground, the arrest of seniors has taken a considerable spike upwards. The apparent cause is the on-going inability of police to adequately assess the mental health of seniors, specifically those with Alzheimer’s who frequently wander unknowingly and anxious relatives invoke police assistance. The story of Armando Navejas in El Paso, Texas, is increasingly problematic as the incidents increase. “As the U.S. population ages and more people develop dementia, older people are increasingly running into problems with the police. Any use of force or arrest can be devastating for someone who is already physically and mentally fragile, like Navejas. While many cities are changing how they respond to mental health calls — including whether police should be present at all — less attention has been paid to the unique risks in cases involving people with Alzheimer’s and other brain diseases.” https://www.themarshallproject.org/2022/11/22/police-arrests-deadly-texas-florida-seniors-dementia-mental-health?utm_source=newsletter&utm_medium=marketing+email&utm_source=The+Marshall+Project+Newsletter&utm_campaign=26b0c5fb32-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2022_11_23_03_44&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-26b0c5fb32-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D Related article: The Marshall Project – Eli Hager and Anna Flagg How Incarcerated Parents Are Losing Their Children Forever – Being stripped of parental rights while in prison, even for minor crimes, is “the family separation crisis that no one knows about,” one advocate said. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2018/12/03/how-incarcerated-parents-are-losing-their-children-forever?utm_source=twitter&utm_campaign=socialflow&utm_medium=social
Toronto Star – Wendy Gillis
Joseph George Sutherland, 61, arrested in 1983 Toronto killings of Erin Gilmour and Susan Tice – “This is a day that I, and we, have been waiting almost an entire lifetime for,” Sean McCowan, Gilmour’s brother said.
The double murder from almost 40 years ago has been solved largely through police access to ancestor data bank of DNA. “The cold cases were solved with the help of genetic genealogy, a process that uses DNA technology to connect suspects with genetic material left at the scene… “If we hadn’t used this technology we would never have come to his name,” said Det. Sgt. Stephen Smith, the lead investigator on the case, who called it the most difficult of his career.” https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2022/11/28/toronto-police-make-arrest-in-1983-murders-of-erin-gilmour-and-susan-tice-sources.html?source=newsletter&utm_source=ts_nl&utm_medium=email&utm_email=404CAADEF7EB839FC77B1B04F0C251E1&utm_campaign=bn_156124