Feb 10, 2023 – Human decency…
CP24.com – Joshua Freeman
Toronto says no to immediate 24/7 warming centres, but will study the idea further
Toronto City Council has taken a double decision against warming centers and against declaring homelessness a public health issue. Advocacy groups are outraged that the Council would declare that the warming centers are not in the budget, given a huge increase ($50 million) in the policing budget. This same crisis for housing exists elsewhere and the conflict with increased police budgeting is front and center. https://www.cp24.com/news/toronto-says-no-to-immediate-24-7-warming-centres-but-will-study-the-idea-further-1.6264643 Tweet from Dr. Naheed Dosani – (Palliative care physician) On the warming centers: “Never forget that the City of Toronto had more than enough resources to add an extra $50,000,000 to the police budget…but today…said it doesn’t have enough resources to protect our community’s most vulnerable. Never forget.” https://twitter.com/NaheedD/status/1623380885620793348 Tweet from Lorraine Lam – On the warming center need: “If you’re mad about how things are going, please mobilize alongside us. Stay tuned. Don’t give up; that’s what oppressors want. We fight for different. Support those doing the work. Support our neighbours. Speak up and do whatever you’re able.” https://t.co/HbFoN1vKPT
(https://twitter.com/lorrainelamchop/status/1623503049711923200?t=r96i884xECx7EG0G8muPVg&s=03) Tweet from Lorraine Lam – On the reaction: “I met with @NaheedD @Diana_C_McNally @progresstoronto @planningtoronto @BravoDavenport ‘s office late today after that horrendous warming centre vote. These are some darn good people working so damn hard in ways unseen. The meeting started by asking how we felt: I cried.” (https://twitter.com/lorrainelamchop/status/1623503039129612288?t=wLSJvdf-3gjWbCZpCP9WmQ&s=03) (Cf string) Tweet from Andrew Baback Boozary MD On health and well-being: “The City of Toronto just voted against declaring homelessness a public health crisis. They also voted against ensuring there is 24/7 access to warming centres. These policy decisions are diametrically opposed to health and well-being. A gut punch right now.
(https://twitter.com/drandrewb/status/1623381046120046594?t=4fAAT09H22iSI95JFoT1gg&s=03) Related article: Toronto Star – Edward Keenan There’s money for police and the World Cup. So why did council give the cold shoulder to warming centres? Council was asked to keep warming centres open every day and night through the rest of this winter — and decided not to. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2023/02/09/theres-money-for-police-and-the-world-cup-so-why-did-council-give-the-cold-shoulder-to-warming-centres.html Tweet from Gruesome brat – On Cost comparison: “We don’t want homeless people on the TTC, so we’re going to pay $1.7m/mo for 80 cops to patrol the TTC; we can’t open 24/7 warm spaces to give people somewhere to go besides the TTC because we don’t have enough staff” is a problem with an easy solution.
(https://twitter.com/Gruesomebrat/status/1623357074557046786?t=PFLyu1Hiz4WcMFUdHDPVfQ&s=03) Tweet from Jessica Hutchinson – Response to Waterloo Budget Meeting: Incredible public engagement about the Region of Waterloo Budget! 32 people have registered to speak at tomorrow night’s public input session, a good number about the police budget It’s time to say NO to more $ for police and YES to more $ for community. https://twitter.com/Jessichutchison/status/1623104182252146689?cxt=HBwWgsC4ie-ptoYtAAAA&cn=ZmxleGlibGVfcmVjcw%3D%3D&refsrc=email
Tweet from Stephanie Levitz – On the treatment of Afghan Refugees and Allies: “An Afghan man, his voice full of anguish, interrupted proceedings in the House of Commons today to ask for help for his family. His name is Abdullah, he says he worked with the Forces prior to 2011 when he escaped and managed to reach Canada to seek asylum. Cf string
(https://twitter.com/StephanieLevitz/status/1623465541150146561?t=4zfLt_eBV29_tUi7ZdDGTA&s=03)
Homeless Hub / Office of the Federal Housing Advocate – Dr. Nemoy Lewis
The Uneven racialization impacts of Financialization: A report for the Office of the Federal Housing (June 2022)
Lewis is saying that the effort to make money out of the rental housing market has a stronger impact on Black renters than on others. The Financialization is defined as: “Briefly, financialization refers to “the increasing dominance of financial actors, markets, practices, measurements, and narratives, at various scales, resulting in a structural transformation of economies, firms (including financial institutions), states, and households.”
(Aalbers, 2016, p. 3).” https://www.homelesshub.ca/sites/default/files/attachments/Lewis-Financialization-Racialized-Impacts-ofha-en.pdf
Nacro (UK) –
People released from prison on a Friday face an almost impossible challenge to get the support they need before the weekend.
“Hundreds of people are released from prison every day, having served their time and eager for a second chance. The reality is that that second chance is a distant dream for the high numbers of people released with nowhere to live, no job and unable to buy the basics… Shockingly, almost 1000 people are released from prison homeless or rough sleeping every month, making it almost impossible for them to get a job and put in place the other support they need.” https://www.nacro.org.uk/news/nacro-news/people-released-from-prison-on-friday-face-almost-impossible-challenge-before-weekend/ (cf Youtube video as well.)
New England Journal of Medicine – Eric Reinhart, M.D.
Reconstructive Justice — Public Health Policy to End Mass Incarceration
Reinhart first describes the solitary confinement conditions that literally drove one man, Dennis Wayne Hope, who, for having escaped a Texas jail, spent the next 27 years in solitary and “According to court documents, he now faces severe depression, paranoid auditory and visual hallucinations, and suicidality.” Reinhart says the prison system is designed to torture people and the torture does not end when the sentence is over. To end mass incarceration, we need to move, he says, to “a government of repair… and abolitional care.” https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMms2208239#.Y-QeS9ltkDQ.twitter Tweet from Eric Reinhart – On ending mass incarceration: “This proposal for a national decarceration program enabled by a US community health and justice worker corps is the most hopeful thing I’ve ever written. Please make it useful. Send it to your representatives; most of all, organize to make it happen. (cf string) https://twitter.com/_Eric_Reinhart/status/1623487319083810818?t=SxU7a5Uif3NS7Amh6OUaEg&s=03) Related article: The Sentencing Project – Nazgol Ghandnoosh, Ph.D., Ending 50 Years of Mass Incarceration: Urgent Reform Needed to Protect Future Generations https://www.sentencingproject.org/app/uploads/2023/02/Ending-50-Years-of-Mass-Incarceration-Urgent-Reform-Needed-to-Protect-Future-Generations.pdf (An 8 page downloadable pdf)
Tweet by Steven Pinker – On Second Look in Sentencing / The Shawshank Redemption Effect:
The Shawshank Redemption Effect: In the US, the public’s desire for harsh criminal punishment (including capital punishment) has been steadily declining. Kellie Hannan, Francis Cullen, Amanda Graham, Cheryl Jonson.
Blogger Russell Webster (UK)
Government rejects calls to tackle unjust IPP sentence – The Government refuses to resentence people subject to IPP sentence or reduce licence period.
The UK House of Commons Justice Committee submitted a report to government that asked the government to re-sentence those held under Imprisonment for Public Protection sentence, an indefinite sentence beyond any tariff. “The Justice Committee urged the government to re-sentence everyone on the discredited and abandoned IPP sentence and to reduce the minimum licence term from ten years to five. The government has rejected both recommendations.” https://www.russellwebster.com/government-fails-to-tackle-injustices-of-ipp-sentence/ Justice Committee Report: MPs find IPP sentences “irredeemably flawed” https://www.russellwebster.com/mps-find-ipp-sentences-irredeemably-flawed/
2022 State of the Sector: Key trends in the voluntary sector working in Criminal Justice 2021-22 (UK) https://www.clinks.org/sites/default/files/2023-02/clinks_state-of-the-sector-2022_Final%20%28reduced%20size%29.pdf Key findings summary: Blogger Russell Webster (UK) Criminal justice voluntary sector under increasing pressure https://www.russellwebster.com/criminal-justice-voluntary-sector-under-increasing-pressure/
The Marshall Project / Inside Story – Lawrence Bartley and Donald Washington, Jr.
Prison Labor, Low Wages and the Side Hustle – Incarcerated workers turn to side hustles to survive. On the outside, comedian Luenell reflects on her time behind bars — and in show business. (A 23 minute video on prison jobs – side hustles – wages and usefulness outside) https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/02/09/prison-jobs-wages-luenell-side-hustles?utm_source=email&utm_medium=marketing-email&utm_source=The+Marshall+Project+Newsletter&utm_campaign=23a86c0f4f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_02_09_05_31&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_-23a86c0f4f-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D (cf also Prison Money and Labor and the watch list)