January 10, 2013
Telegraph (UK) – Rowena Mason and Wesley Johnson
Chris Grayling: charities may be better at helping prisoners than probation officers
In Canada, charities have endured a difficult time in recent years but continue to contribute enormously to all sorts of social services, including criminal justice involvement in preventative measures, in prisons, in probation and in re-entry. The UK Justice Secretary says that charities who hire ex-offenders may be more effective than probationary services in preventing re-offending. A new plan, and its funding by results, calls for handing over low risk offenders to private firms, charitable groups and volunteers. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9789795/Chris-Grayling-charities-may-be-better-at-helping-prisoners-than-probation-officers.html
Courier-Journal (Kentucky) – Jason Riley
Juvenile defendants can meet victims, settle charges outside court
This article is a twist on normal RJ practices: a business owner whose property was damaged by a vandal establishes a college fund for the offender! http://www.courier-journal.com/article/20130108/NEWS10/301080093?nclick_check=1
Shalem Mental Health Network:
Learning how to grow restorative churches – A Faithcare Conference
Three days of training by Bruce Schenk of the International Institute for Restorative Practices is scheduled for Mississauga, ON, Feb. 5-7, 2013. Brochure – http://www.shalemnetwork.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/2013-FaithCARE-conference.pdf Registration: http://www.shalemnetwork.org/workshop/learning-how-to-grow-restorative-churches-faithcare-conference
Juveniles-in-justice – Articles in best Practices – Richard Ross
NY Times: Can Forgiveness Play a Role in Criminal Justice?
Here a blogger has some interesting comments on how and why the Grosmaire and McBride families were able to deal with the killing of Ann Gorsmaire. http://www.juvenile-in-justice.com/ny-times-can-forgiveness-play-a-role-in-criminal-justice
PR Newswire:
Justice Department Study Finds One In Four Women in Jails Have Serious Mental Illness, With Co-Occurring Posttraumatic Stress and Substance Use Disorders
Most of the problems seem to occur prior to incarceration and the report views the number identified as over-representation. http://www.marketwatch.com/story/justice-department-study-finds-one-in-four-women-in-jails-have-serious-mental-illness-with-co-occurring-posttraumatic-stress-and-substance-use-disorders-2013-01-09 Power Point PDF File of the report “Women’s Pathway to Jail” – http://www.ncja.org/sites/default/files/documents/Lynch_Womens_Pathways_to_Jail.pdf
The Berkeley Blog – Professor of Law Jonathan Simon
The turn-around state? Does California have one of the finest prison systems in the nation?
California has been under federal court orders and supervision to reduce the bloated prison population. Now Governor Gerry Brown argues that the conditions have so improved that the federal court’s continued mandate is the primary problem in California jails. http://blogs.berkeley.edu/2013/01/09/the-turn-around-state-does-california-have-one-of-the-finest-prison-systems-in-the-nation
South Devon Herald (UK) –
Jail healthcare tantamount to ‘failure of prisoners’ rights’
The Independent Monitoring Board for prison inspections has declared healthcare, especially dental care, a serious rights issue in South Devon’s Channings Wood prison. The inspection team also praised its RJ schemes, educational initiatives and anti-drug work. http://www.thisissouthdevon.co.uk/Jail-healthcare-tantamount-failure-prisoners/story-17815146-detail/story.html