Mar 3, 2021 MacLean’s – Justin Ling Houses of hate: How Canada's prison system is broken - Dangerous, racist and falling apart. By nearly every metric, the nation's penal system is not just failing, it's making things worse. “In fact, by nearly … [Read more...]
Lockdowns …
February 9, 2016 by
February 8, 2016 Toronto Star – Ann Dempsey Lockdowns "similar" to solitary, jail security official says - Toronto South Detention Centre security manager testifies that he knows of no policies limiting lockdowns in jails. There is increasing … [Read more...]
Calling for a new approach to justice!
September 16, 2015 by
Download the PDF Canada's current approach features an excessive reliance on incarceration and an insufficient emphasis on mental health, poverty, substance abuse, and the other underlying factors generating breakdowns in families and communities. … [Read more...]
Corrections and the political agenda in Canada: Toward an illuminated future or a walk in the darkness?
September 15, 2015 by
SJNC is pleased to feature a new article by seasoned correctional observer R. E. Bob Brown, who compares the criminal justice policies of the current Government of Canada with those in several European countries, the U.S. and a number of its states. … [Read more...]
Major harms flow from the criminal prohibition of drugs
January 28, 2013 by
The Canadian Drug Policy Coalition, a drug policy reform group, has identified several of the major harms that flow from the criminal prohibition of drugs. Eugene Oscapella has drawn much of the material for the following list from its website, … [Read more...]
Leading children’s advocates criticize Bill C10
January 7, 2013 by
When the 2002 Youth Criminal Justice Act (YCJA) was passed, Canada had proportionately more youth imprisoned than any other Western country. It was hoped that this new Act would reduce this high level in favour of alternatives to prison. Most experts … [Read more...]
Recommendations for improved care for mentally ill offenders
January 6, 2013 by
There are options other than incarceration for mentally ill persons who come into conflict with the law, such as police diversion to hospital before they are charged, court support workers, mental health courts. These options draw on the principle of … [Read more...]
Missouri tells judges cost of sentences
August 12, 2012 by
Some jurisdictions are asking for more judicial accountability for costly sentencing choices that are ineffective. A new program in Missouri uses data about offenders to help answer these questions: What is the likelihood, under different sentencing … [Read more...]
Lessons from the front lines in Canada’s restorative justice experiment: The experience of sentencing judges
August 12, 2012 by
Megan Stephens interviewed Ontario judges on restorative justice processes, which offer a contextual approach to resolving the aftermath of a crime. Data from the interviews provide a candid in-depth look at obstacles to effective implementation, … [Read more...]
Crime and punishment: Time for a more reasoned debate
August 12, 2012 by
Danny Graham, criminal justice advisor in Canada and internationally, reports that comparable European democracies basing policy on "what works" are achieving much lower crime rates than Canada, with lower incarceration and huge fiscal savings. He … [Read more...]