Smart Justice Network
Dec 2, 2023 – Could inquest recs help?
CBC News – Shanifa Nasser
New video shows Soleiman Faqiri calm, compliant with guards on morning of his death – WARNING: This story contains graphic details.
The one-minute video continues the inexplicable around the events leading to the death of Soleiman Faqiri in the Central East Correctional Centre in Lindsay, Ont., in 2016. “At the time of his death, Faqiri, who suffered from schizoaffective disorder — a combination of schizophrenic and bipolar symptoms — was awaiting a medical evaluation at the Ontario Shores Centre for Mental Health Sciences. He had been charged with aggravated assault, assault, and uttering threats following an altercation with a neighbour, but had not been convicted of any crime.” His cause of death had been previously determined as suffocation from the anti-spit mask while lying face down on the cell floor. The policy specifically prohibits the face-down prone position with the spit mask. A supervisor, who was absent from prescribed involvement, also conceded that she was in a new position and had no training for her duties on the internal movement: “Despite being the jail’s deputy of security compliance, Easto said she wasn’t aware at the time that she was expected to observe and report on uses of force to flag when they might violate policy.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/soleiman-faqiri-inquest-day-9-1.7045497 Related article: Ottawa Citizen Lindsay Jennings, Jeffrey Bradley, Alexander McClelland Opinion: Canada must end the pervasive culture of inhumanity inside prisons – Soleiman Faqiri’s death was horrific, yet our research into patterns of deaths in custody across Canada illustrates his death is not unique. https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/opinion-canada-must-end-the-pervasive-culture-of-inhumanity-inside-prisons (A helpful history of deaths in custody in Canada as well.)
CBC News – Ian Froese
NDP pledges 100 mental health staff to help law enforcement, more police officers if necessary – Party releases 5-point crime strategy Wab Kinew says is tough on crime and its causes.
The new NDP Manitoba government is promising to address community safety in rural Manitoba with a five-step plan that includes additional mental health staff and additional police officers for both rural Manitoba and Winnipeg. The plan includes the ‘tough-on-crime’ talk and seems to put at least some of this approach into practice as well, supporting the federal lead on bail reform. Says University of Manitoba criminologist Frank Cormier: “…some more hardcore NDP supporters might be a little bit turned off by using that tough-on-crime language, and by perhaps even floating the idea that hiring more police is the way to go.” https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/ndp-100-mental-health-staff-more-police-if-necessary-1.6939626
Blogger Russell Webster (UK)
Young, criminalised women’s needs are neglected.
Webster has deferred to the Alliance’s Executive Director Cross for this commentary on a recent report. The gender-based support that the advocates seek is in response to the considerable number of incidents by young, criminalized girls in the prison system who are self-harming. Noting a 65% increase of incidents Charlie Taylor, Chief Inspector of Prisons, says: “There is a group of women who are absolutely trapped in a cycle of mental health difficulties, substance issues, homelessness, crime and prison… These are often the most vulnerable, very unwell women, some of whom should quite frankly be in secure hospital, not in prison.” The report effectively identifies ‘linked vulnerabilities’ among this population and insists that health response, not prison, is needed. https://www.russellwebster.com/young-criminalised-womens-needs-are-neglected/ Full 40 page Report: Agenda Alliance (UK) – Indy Cross A CALL TO ACTION: Developing gender-sensitive support for criminalised young women – Young Women’s Justice Project https://www.agendaalliance.org/documents/155/Agenda_Allliance_-A_Call_To_Action_Briefing-Nov_2023.pdf Agenda Alliance website: https://www.agendaalliance.org/
New York Times – Hurubie Meko
Car Crash Victims Seek Justice in a New Way: Talking to the Drivers – Circles for Safe Streets encourages New York drivers who hit people to take responsibility. Those who were injured can speak directly to those at fault.
Bill Penny drove the wrong way down a one-way road in Brooklyn, hitting and critically injuring a woman who was crossing. He was charged by po0lice with reckless endangerment, sent to safe driving sessions and now participated in a restorative justice process sponsored by Circles for Safe Streets, a program of the Center for Justice Innovation, a nonprofit group. Penny was nervous about the process and broke down when the moderator asked the first question: “How did the accident impact you?” “…the program aims to allow victims and drivers to talk to each other as the city struggles to make its streets safe.” https://www.nytimes.com/2023/11/27/nyregion/circles-safe-streets-traffic-deaths.html Related video: Centre for Justice and Human Dignity (US) Healing Through Restorative Practices (an one hour and 16 minute panel discussion during the Rewriting the Sentence Summit – Oct 17 /23) Related article: Jewish Currents (US) – Mari Cohen After the Hit-and-Run: Can restorative justice offer crash victims like me—and the drivers who harmed us—the healing we need? https://jewishcurrents.org/after-the-hit-and-run Tweet from Maurice Chammah of the Marshall Project (US) on crime victims: “We often assume crime victims want the harshest response possible for those who harmed them. But this heavily reported essay by @maricohen95 shows that isn’t true, and gracefully shines a light towards a more healing and healed future.” https://x.com/MauriceChammah/status/1730259788729037283?s=20
Human Rights Watch (US)
US: Texas Troopers’ Deadly Vehicle Pursuits – Fatalities More Frequent Under Operation Lone Star Than Previously Reported
Known as “hot pursuit” police high speed chases are a problem everywhere for the danger it creates for other innocent by-standers as well as participants in the chase. But the toll in Texas for the last 29 months is astounding. The results are apparently extreme: in Texas – 74 dead and 189 injured – where the pursuits have been linked with mandates to police to enforce the migration and border immigration. “The findings indicate the monthly death rate is at least 45 percent higher than media and civil rights groups previously reported, and that injuries and property destruction are substantially worse.” https://www.hrw.org/news/2023/11/27/us-texas-troopers-deadly-vehicle-pursuits?utm_medium=email&utm_source=the-week-in-rights&utm_campaign=2023-12-01
The Conversation – Don’t call me resilient podcast – Ateqah Khaki, Jennifer Moroz, Kikachi Memeh, Vinita Srivastava
Why are school-aged boys so attracted to hateful ideologies?
The authors first note a series of ideological thrusts common place in our society and therefore in our schools. Then, they zero in on the thesis that the development and ready acceptance of a practice and rhetoric of hate appears to be more present to school age boys. What follows the expose is a series of linked articles around why and how this growth is facilitated. Also, there is an added list of resources. https://theconversation.com/why-are-school-aged-boys-so-attracted-to-hateful-ideologies-218700?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20December%202-3%202023&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20December%202-3%202023+CID_77a9d4f643229ef6ca111ba549be8db4&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=Why%20are%20school-aged%20boys%20so%20attracted%20to%20hateful%20ideologies
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