June 13, 2014
National Newswatch – Canadian Press
Court says warrant needed for Internet info
The case before the SCC involves a Saskatchewan man accused of child pornography. The court has ruled that police need a warrant to get information on subscribers’ identities from internet providers. The ruling sets the stage for yet another clash with the federal government, this next around the proposed cyberbullying law that adds information on demand to a larger circle of authorities and protects the provider with immunity. http://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2014/06/13/court-says-warrant-needed-for-internet-info/#.U5s_4fldXcB Related article: CBC News Internet users’ privacy upheld by Canada’s top court http://www.cbc.ca/news/technology/internet-users-privacy-upheld-by-canada-s-top-court-1.2673823 SCC Ruling Text: http://scc-csc.lexum.com/scc-csc/scc-csc/en/item/14233/index.do
CBC News
Recession tied to increase in suicides
Researchers, using data from the World Health Organization, are suggesting that a rise of 4.5% in the suicide rate in Canada may be linked to the insecurity created by recessionary factors such as job loss, home loss and debt. The study notes a reversal of a falling trend that starts in 2007 and continues to date. Suggested prevention measures could involve community mental health programs, return to work help and greater gender equality in the workplace. http://www.cbc.ca/news/health/recession-tied-to-increase-in-suicides-1.2672712
CBC News
Documents related to St. Anne’s residential school to be released
Ed Metatawabin is a survivor of Residential school abuse who is trying to use the Independent Assessment Process to establish legitimacy in a claim. But he is in court to force the federal government to release the transcripts and documents related to the trail of one of the school’s supervisor to support his claim. The contradiction of pursuing non-court based agreements is blatant and forces claimants back into the court system, however lengthy or costly it may be for all concerned. http://www.cbc.ca/news/aboriginal/documents-related-to-st-anne-s-residential-school-to-be-released-1.2672256
CNW Newswire (Montreal)
New research results show that the Housing First approach contributes to ending homelessness
After fours years, the Mental Health Commission of Canada is ready to pronounce the HousingFirst Project a success and an improvement in responding to both homelessness and mental health. The usual approach is to work towards establishing appropriate housing with the homeless and focusing on what is judged to be more immediate needs. This approach says first provide the housing, and with it the security, stability and dignity, and then all the other problems become easy to confront and resolve. http://www.newswire.ca/en/story/1371689/new-research-results-show-that-the-housing-first-approach-contributes-to-ending-homelessness Related article: CBC News High housing costs boost inequality, OECD tells Canada http://www.cbc.ca/news/business/high-housing-costs-boost-inequality-oecd-tells-canada-1.2672574
Courthouse News Service (Mason, Georgia) – Julia Flip
Discovery Granted in Prison Killing
In March 2010, Terrance Desmond Bowen was doing time in Baldwin State prison when he was double bunked with a convicted murderer and known dangerous schizophrenic Carl Merkerson who beat Bowen to death in the cell. In a liability lawsuit against the prison authorities, Bowen’s family has been granted the right of access to mental health records, and who knew of the dangerous mix between the two and when they knew it. The Bowen family is now entitled on the basis of those documents to depose the prison authorities on their knowledge the sequence of events in the prison death. http://www.courthousenews.com/2014/06/12/68665.htm Related article: The Tuscaloosa News – Lydia Seabol Avant Report details medical neglect in Alabama prisons http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/article/20140611/NEWS/140619926
National Immigrant Justice Center (US)
Unaccompanied immigrant children report serious abuse by U.S. officials during detention
There is a growing problem of unaccompanied children arriving at the US border. Once Mexican immigrants dominated the scene but now the children arriving are from further afield and are fleeing home countries to seek out parents and relatives already in the US. Lawyers for the Center, representing an alliance of agencies, have filed a complaint alleging abuse of the over 100 children by the Border Patrol. The abuses cover a wide variety of both treatment and the refusal for prompt medical care. http://www.immigrantjustice.org/press_releases/unaccompanied-immigrant-children-report-serious-abuse-us-officials-during-detention#.U5r65_ldXcA
CBC Sunday Edition – Michael Enright
Prison Chaplains
Enright interviews Kate Johnson, a Quaker chaplain, on the work of the ministry in federal prisons and includes in the discussion the recent changes brought when CSC outsourced the management of the services to an independent body. The interview is a 22 minute audio file in the lower right hand box. http://www.cbc.ca/thesundayedition/