Jan. 19, 2014
Pacific Business and Law Institute / Smart Justice Network Canada
An invitation to the broader community…
Please join us on March 26 and 27 in Ottawa to share your experiences and perspectives in a symposium to explore smart justice responses to social and criminal justice challenges − Police & Community Partnerships: A National Symposium. The success of this event depends on involving people working in health, education, housing, social and criminal justice, and community development, all with a passion for finding ways to make a difference. Please see the attached brochure for all the details. I welcome an opportunity to discuss this event with you.
The Smart Justice Network of Canada hears from many across Canada about their frustrations with our society’s current excessive dependence on legal responses to a wide range of social and justice issues, from mental health to harmful behaviour in schools, to a wide range of unwanted actions in communities. People working in our communities know more effective ways to deal with these challenges. Public officials know, and citizens increasingly believe no single agency or process can effectively respond to all these challenges. This symposium introduces new ideas, new successful initiatives, and shares practical steps to successfully establish effective change. It brings together participants from across Canada and the United States to share their successful experiences in:
• Building collaborative partnerships involving community agencies, health and education professionals and justice officials, to increase safety, reduce harm and build healthier communities.
• Raising funds through innovative forms of social financing to help community agencies get the resources needed to be a part of this change.
Police & Community Partnerships: A National Symposium creates dialogue, explores what works and what does not, and addresses the challenges and criticisms of current ‘social financing’ programs. Participants will walk away empowered with a set of best practices to make changes that make a difference.
Please join us and add your voice to this important dialogue. Bringing people from all walks of life is essential to make this symposium capable of generating practical changes in our communities. To this end PBLI has developed a vastly reduced fee structure and will offer partial and full scholarships. See the fee schedule in the attached brochure.
http://www.pbli.com/programs/overview?itemid=106
Link for Pacific Business and Law Institute: www.pbli.com
Contact for the symposium: Pauline Cusack pmc@pbli.com
(Ed Note: Smart Justice Network of Canada heartily endorses participation in this symposium by members of broader voluntary and service agencies in Canada. Two of the three co-chairs – Jim Potts and Barry Stuart – and five of the faculty are participants in the setting of the national direction and pursuits of SJNC. The symposium, a follow-up to the 2013 regional gatherings of SJNC, has worked to make the participation financially feasible to encourage your presence and to enable a wider community voice to be heard around justice issues. We encourage all those receiving communiqué to alert others in your network to this event.)
CBC Fifth Estate
The Man Who Hears Voices
Jeffrey Arenburg was convicted of the murder of Brian Smith, an Ottawa sports caster. The conviction was under the provisions of the NCR or not criminally responsible. This article explores the federal government’s decision to harden the provisions. (Note: the episode may only be available for a week or so.) http://www.cbc.ca/fifth
CBC Ideas
Alone Inside
This podcast is a re-broadcast of an exchange between six individuals, including three who have served time and been held in solitary. Freelance journalist Brett Story explores the origins of the practice and its impact on inmates. http://www.cbc.ca/ideas/episodes/2014/01/17/alone-inside-2