April 3, 2023 – The scope of RJ
Toronto Star – Jacques Gallant
Infantilized. Re-traumatized. Silenced: Why Ontario won’t give these sex assault survivors what they want – The province says sex assault cases are ineligible for restorative justice because they’re too serious — where does that all-or-nothing policy leave survivors?
Sexual assault victim Nathalia Comrie told the Crown that she did not want the kind of justice the Crown was offering and was berated for her choice. “I said your idea of justice and my idea of justice are completely different,” Comrie said, “so please stop assigning your idea of justice to my sexual assault. It is my hurt, my trauma, not yours.” Gallant introduces the readers to the use of restorative justice process to respond to the trauma needs of victims. The attorney General thinks sexual assault is too serious for restorative process and the victims too much in need of the punitive approach of the current justice system. Gallant presents three such victims who beg to differ. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/04/02/infantilized-re-traumatized-silenced-why-ontario-wont-give-these-sex-assault-survivors-what-they-want.html Related article: Toronto Star – Jacques Gallant This sexual assault survivor took part in a ‘restorative justice’ process in 2019. She’s pushing for others to have the same chance – Despite the positive feedback from all involved, allowing a criminal sexual assault case to be resolved through restorative justice has almost never been permitted again in Ontario since Marlee Liss went through the process in 2019. https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2023/04/02/this-sexual-assault-survivor-took-part-in-a-restorative-justice-process-in-2019-shes-pushing-for-others-to-have-the-same-chance.html Related article: Toronto Star – Edward Keenan Andrea Magalhaes, devastated with grief for her murdered son Gabriel, had the clarity to demand supports for people in crisis. We should heed her words – These issues require multi-level co-ordination and whole boatloads of money. These are all things that, politically, we aren’t very good at. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/star-columnists/2023/03/31/andrea-magalhaes-devastated-with-grief-for-her-murdered-son-gabriel-had-the-clarity-to-demand-supports-for-people-in-crisis-we-should-heed-her-words.html Related article: Winnipeg Sun – Dave Baxter Restorative justice programs showing positive results in Manitoba https://winnipegsun.com/news/news-news/restorative-justice-programs-showing-positive-results-in-manitoba Related article: Canadian Lawyer – Zena Olijnyk Attorney General David Lametti urges Osgoode Hall law students to continue work of reconciliation – Restates commitment to implement United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/news/general/attorney-general-david-lametti-urges-osgoode-hall-law-students-to-continue-work-of-reconciliation/374817 Related article: Pennsylvania Capitol Star (US) – John L. Micek She lost her grandson to gun violence: ‘It’s so hard to live with the silence’ – As House Democrats push for changes to Pa.’s gun laws, Marge LaRue doesn’t want anyone else to endure her pain https://www.penncapital-star.com/commentary/she-lost-her-grandson-to-gun-violence-its-so-hard-to-live-with-the-silence-friday-coffee/
CTV Atlantic – Sarah Plowman
MCC report calls on government to declare gender-based violence ‘an epidemic’
The Mass Casualty Commission (MCC) report on violence is not mixing words in what it sees as necessary correction. “The authors are recommending “epidemic-level” funding to end this type of violence and for all levels of government to declare “gender-based, intimate partner and family violence to be an epidemic that warrants a meaningful and sustained society-wide response… It’s also calling for men to take up individual and concerted action.” Said Commission Chair Michael MacDonald: “Those who perpetrate mass casualties often have an unaddressed history of gender-based intimate-partner or family violence,” https://www.iheartradio.ca/ctv-news-content/mcc-report-calls-on-government-to-declare-gender-based-violence-an-epidemic-1.19477529 Related article: CTV News – Melissa Lopez-Martinez Femicides on the rise as report indicates a woman or girl is killed every 48 hours in Canada https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/femicides-on-the-rise-as-report-indicates-a-woman-or-girl-is-killed-every-48-hours-in-canada-1.6339213 Related aricle: Toronto Star – John Sewell Crime rates have more to do with social factors than number of police officers https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/04/01/crime-rates-have-more-to-do-with-social-factors-than-number-of-police-officers.html CBC (NB) – Hadeel Ibrahim Police chief, expert say hiring more officers will not lead to lower crime rate – Addressing the root cause is a more permanent solution than continuing to arrest people, chief says https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/saint-john-harm-reduction-crime-severity-police-1.6797755 Related article: Toronto Star – Katherine Lake Berz https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/04/02/after-30-years-in-prison-for-murder-these-sisters-are-struggling-to-handle-the-outside-world.html
Tweet from Justin Piché on Defunding Police and death of police officers: Incorrect. Irresponsible. Dangerous. Horseshit.
Not a single murder of a police officer in this country has been motivated by efforts to #DefundThePolice. If that were the case, police leaders wouldn’t miss a chance to state it over and over again. #BuildCommunitiesNotCopShops
(https://twitter.com/JustinPicheh/status/1641946839199907841?t=_MJen6LbwZYYJs0dRUG76Q&s=03)
The Conversation – Don’t Call Me Resilient (Queen’s) – Boké Saisi, Ollie Nicholas and host Vinita Srivastava
Roxham Road: Asylum seekers won’t just get turned back, they’ll get forced underground — podcast
Roxham Road border crossing has quietly closed following an agreement between US President Joe Biden and Canadian PM Justin Trudeau. What is not clear for many Canadians is the impact of the decision on the refugee policies of Canada. “What the new amendment basically does is close any irregular border crossings for asylum seekers hoping to cross the U.S.-Canada border…But there was a small loophole that provided a slim window for people desperately looking for a way into Canada. People who crossed at unofficial border crossings could still claim asylum.” What is clear is that many refugees cannot turn back and that their status will not require greater risk and more danger seeking out less controlled crossings. The authors say it is time for a policy discussion on who Canada welcomes. https://theconversation.com/roxham-road-asylum-seekers-wont-just-get-turned-back-theyll-get-forced-underground-podcast-202699?utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20April%201-2%202023%20-%202587726024&utm_content=Latest%20from%20The%20Conversation%20for%20April%201-2%202023%20-%202587726024+CID_ce7dcb6e23a9065e35f4f7c36059a5eb&utm_source=campaign_monitor_ca&utm_term=Roxham%20Road%20Asylum%20seekers%20wont%20just%20get%20turned%20back%20theyll%20get%20forced%20underground%20%20podcast
Tweet from Christopher Blackwell on Prison fees for e-mail: “Suddenly it’s’ $4.41 in fees to buy $10 worth of email stamps. Prison emails require you to purchase a $.24 stamp per email with extra stamps if the email is long or has pictures. So that’s $14.41 in total to buy 60 stamps. Almost an hour of prison labor to send one email.”
(https://twitter.com/ChrisWBlackwell/status/1641963796687376385?t=T0wPggr4ER-_fMuX-YsveQ&s=03)
Blogger Erich Kussman – Red Letter Christians.org – Prison Profiteering and Princeton Theological Seminary https://www.redletterchristians.org/prison-profiteering-and-princeton-theological-seminary/