May 11, 2014
CBC News – Evan Solomon & Sean Brant
Invisible Women Inquiry
Mohawk leader Sean Brant is determined to respond with continuous protest to the federal government refusal to hold an inquiry on murdered and indigenous women. The first response resulted in three arrests east of Belleville and the tensions continue. Brant says he experienced medical distress while in jail without medical intervention but resulting in a special Sunday morning bail hearing to get him out of custody. http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics (Go to Power and Politics at 1:36 of the tape.)
Ottawa Citizen – Louis Turcotte
Advocate says victims of crime still lack suitable support
Carolyn Solomon became a victim’s advocate with the murder of her son and the subsequent events. “After the first year, I think I needed psychological support just from the government people, just because of what they put us through,” she says. Steve Sullivan, director of Ottawa’s Victims Services, and a co-panellist at an Ottawa gathering on victim’s needs, said “the government is relying too heavily on controversial victims’ fine surcharges to help fund support for victims of crime, rather than other funding.” http://www.ottawacitizen.com/Advocate+says+victims+crime+still+lack+suitable+support/9600648/story.html
Edmonton Journal – Murray Brewster, Canadian Press
Controversy over alleged Afghan prison torture slips quietly into history books
Amnesty International and the BC Civil Liberties lawyers attempted, five years ago, to bring light to the issues of human rights and the transfer of Afghan prisoners captured by Canadian Forces to the Afghan authorities where torture was anticipated. The current withdrawal of the last of the Canadians has finally revealed the number of prisoners involved and some of the detail that some think ‘ugly indifference’ to human rights. http://www.edmontonjournal.com/news/Controversy+over+alleged+Afghan+prison+torture+slips/9601120/story.html
Globe and Mail – Elizabeth Church and Stuart A. Thompson
Toronto neighbourhoods ranked by new ‘equity score’
St. Michael’s Hospital and the World Health Organization have a new scale to suggest which parts of Toronto deserve a little extra from city services. The equity score comes from a series of factors: economic opportunity, social development, health, participation in decision-making and physical surroundings. http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/toronto/toronto-equity-score/article17401356
Democracy Now (US) – Amy Goodman and Juan Gonsalvez
Angela Davis on Prison Abolition, the War on Drugs and Why Social Movements Shouldn’t Wait on Obama
A two part interview with prison abolitionist and long time Black activist Angela Davis on mass incarceration and later the connection between the detention of immigrants and the future reform of the US prison system. The second part of this interview considers the practice and impact of solitary confinement. http://www.democracynow.org/blog/2014/3/6/part_2_angela_davis_on_solitary
Restorative Justice on Line –Iryna Rud, Chris Van Klaveren, Wim Groot & Henriëtte Maassen van den Brink
The effect of restorative juvenile justice on future educational outcomes
This article is a report on the Dutch Restorative Justice Juvenile program called HALT. Incorporated into the Dutch criminal justice system, the program is aimed at 12-18 year olds whose first offense is not violent. The program works with the schools to attempt greater effectiveness in both achievement and length of time in school. http://www.restorativejustice.org/RJOB/the-effect-of-restorative-juvenile-justice-on-future-educational-outcomes
Sydney (Au) Morning Herald – Jane Lee
Former chief justice Alastair Nicholson urges jail for cyber-bullying
A former chief justice of Australia is advocating prison term to those youth convicted of repeat cyberbullying and thinks three months is also appropriate for adults on first conviction. Also the chairman of the National Centre Against Bullying, Alistair Nicholson does not think it will stop bullying but it will make cyberbullying an offence and allow police intervention while setting clear limits for the behaviour. http://www.smh.com.au/technology/technology-news/former-chief-justice-alastair-nicholson-urges-jail-for-cyberbullying-20140310-34hw6.html