Nov. 3, 2014
Canada.com – Jordan Press, Ottawa Citizen
The power to fight terrorism: What’s already on the books?
The article offers an overview of laws already on the books but rarely used as a means of fighting terrorism. Press includes a definition of terrorism, powers of surveillance and secrecy, power of detention, power to punish hate speech, and the powers to keep suspects here or to expel them. http://www.canada.com/News/politics/power+fight+terrorism+What+already+books/10347165/story.html
Toronto Star – Olivia Carville
More action sought to stop suicide in Canada
Having just reported the suicide deaths of 26 first responders since April, the realities around the general population are more frightening. “Every year, more Canadians kill themselves than die by car accidents, HIV, homicide, drowning, influenza and war combined.” Total costs around suicide in Canada have now reached $2.4 billion. http://www.thestar.com/life/health_wellness/2014/11/03/more_action_sought_to_stop_suicide_in_canada.html Related article: CBC News – Bob Weber Canada leading global study on Inuit suicide prevention – Circumpolar study already underway to find common threads in high Arctic aboriginal suicide rates http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/canada-leading-global-study-on-inuit-suicide-prevention-1.2821665
Toronto Star – Michelle Shepherd
How Canada has abandoned its roles as peacekeeper
Shepherd recalls the foundation of the UN peacekeeper movement under Lester Pearson’s government of the day and its ideals and then traces the surrender to ‘chequebook peacekeeping’ as Canada and other countries began to be more militant and combative. Once first among nations for peacekeeping, Canada is now ranked at 65th among the 193 UN member countries. Canada’s Romeo Dallaire puts the matter bluntly: “Today, we point to the humanitarian aid dollars we’ve given, which are never enough, and proclaim we’ve done our part. Today, we have more sabre-rattling and less credibility, more expressions of concern and less contingency planning, more endless consultation with allies, or so we are told, and less real action being taken, and more empty calls for respect for human rights and less actual engagement with the violators. “The question is: when will Canada finally answer the call again?” http://www.thestar.com/news/world/2014/10/31/how_canada_has_abandoned_its_role_as_a_peacekeeper.html
Justia.com Verdict (US) – Neil H. Buchanan
Progressive Taxation and Spending Must Both Be Part of the Fight against Inequality
No one denies any more the primary importance of addressing the various issues around income inequality. Buchanan thinks we ought to push down from the top and pull up from the bottom to seriously impact the inequality. He also presents an argument against simply focusing on the bottom. http://verdict.justia.com/2014/10/31/progressive-taxation-spending-must-part-fight-inequality#sthash.4WDoLKtP.dpuf Related article: World Development Movement – Nick Dearden, It’s time to radically reduce inequality http://www.wdm.org.uk/multinational-corporations/it%E2%80%99s-time-radically-reduce-inequality
University of Nebraska – Omaha (US) – Sam Walker
What a Good Police Department looks like: Professional, Accountable, Transparent and Self-monitoring
This guide is intended for community groups to educate and assess the effectiveness and quality of local policing. The guide is intended as a starting point from which to invite people to a conversation about what a good local police force looks like and how it operates. The report showed up as well on the Smart Policing Initiatives website. http://samuelwalker.net/wp-content/uploads/2014/10/WHAT-A-GOOD-POLICE-DEPARTMENT-Final.pdf Smart Policing Initiatives: http://www.smartpolicinginitiative.com
Brown Daily Herald – Andrew Jones
Psychiatry prof. talks health gaps in women’s prisons
Psychiatrist Jennifer Johnson believes that there are significant gaps in the mental health care of women in prison, most of whom suffer addictions and histories of physical and sexual abuse. Johnson thinks the presenting mental health problems require a period of constant intervention, lacking in prisons not responsive to mental health issues. Johnson has directed three related studies about effective interventions for these issues, including depression, in Rhode Island prisons for women. http://www.browndailyherald.com/2014/11/03/psychiatry-prof-talks-health-gaps-womens-prisons
Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (UK) – Rebecca Daddow
I would build… stronger communities
Daddow looks at the justice system and concludes that we charge the system with doing what it cannot do – the judiciary, the criminal courts, and the corrections. Instead of building on what is already a noteworthy failure, she advocates the theory, ethos and practical experience of Asset Based Community Development (ABCD). http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/resources/i-would-build-stronger-communities
Centre for Crime and Justice Studies (UK) – J.M. Moore
Who or what is to blame for deaths in custody?
The UK is experiencing a distressing number of inmate deaths, younger inmates in particular. Most inquiries are about the inmates and why they could not cope with the system. Moore is suggesting that the majority should not be in prison to start with since prisons are places for punishment and denial of even elementary human touches. Echoes of Ashley Smith? http://www.crimeandjustice.org.uk/resources/who-or-what-blame-deaths-custody