June 9, 2023 – Opportunism…

Toronto Star – Anthony Doob and Jane Sprott

Politicians using Paul Bernardo’s notoriety to severely harm our justice system – Correctional Service Canada is required by law to consider Bernardo’s risk and behaviour, not politicians’ emotions and political ambitions.

Doob and Sprott are calling Canada and its politicians to account for the inciting comments on the Corrections Canada’s legally required re-classification of Paul Bernardo.  “Simply put, the law says that the classification of prisoners relates to the prisoner’s behaviour and risk in the penitentiary, not the public’s or politicians’ views about how, or how much, prisoners should be punished…  It seems unlikely to us that Bernardo will ever be released. But in a society in which we expect our political leaders to respect and encourage compliance with the law, is it really appropriate for our politicians to encourage Canada’s correctional system to violate the law just because it might make them look good?”   The commentary of the politicians may just be, given the horrendous crime and its impact on the victims’ families, the worst sort of opportunism. https://www.thestar.com/opinion/contributors/2023/06/07/politicians-using-bernardos-notoriety-to-severely-harm-our-justice-system.html   Related article: Toronto Star –  Rob Ferguson and Stephanie Levitz    Paul Bernardo prison transfer ‘inexplicable,’ says public safety minister, as Doug Ford calls for Corrections boss to quit or be fired – Canada’s prison system has some explaining to do over its “incomprehensible” decision to move schoolgirl killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison in Quebec, says Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino.  https://www.thestar.com/politics/provincial/2023/06/06/doug-ford-wants-top-prison-boss-gone-over-paul-bernardo-transfer-you-should-step-aside.html?li_source=LI&li_medium=star_web_ymbii   Related article: The Canadian Press – Justice minister says government to reject Senate changes to judicial oversight bill  https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/justice-minister-says-government-to-reject-senate-changes-to-judicial-oversight-bill/article_9157189d-f306-5421-8102-9ad4b8bc2d5a.html Related article: Toronto Star – Alessia Passafiume    Paul Bernardo: What did he do, what’s the difference between maximum and medium security and how federal corrections makes inmate decisions – La Macaza Institution — the medium-security prison where Bernardo was quietly transferred to — is built on an open-campus model  https://www.thestar.com/news/canada/2023/06/07/paul-bernardo-what-did-he-do-whats-the-difference-between-maximum-and-medium-security-and-what-are-politicians-saying.html

Saltwire.com – Tara Bradbury

N.L. law society’s caution to St. John’s lawyer Bob Buckingham over comments about inmate’s death was unreasonable, court rules – The Newfoundland and Labrador Court of Appeal has asked the law society to reconsider the matter 

The issue here is the commentary by Newfoundland lawyer Bob Buckingham about the death of an incarcerated person – Jonathan Henoche – in Her Majesty’s Prison.  Nape union leader Jerry Earle complained that Buckingham, seeking an inquiry into his client’s death in custody, had failed in his professional obligation to uphold respect for the administration of Law.  The law society issued a caution to Buckingham who in turn appealed the caution to judicial review where the court invited the law society to withdraw the caution.  “Henoche’s death was ruled a homicide in December 2019 and 10 correctional officers were charged in connection with his death. They were cleared of the charges after a preliminary hearing, when the presiding judge ruled there was insufficient evidence to send the officers to trial.” https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/law-societys-caution-to-st-johns-lawyer-bob-buckingham-over-comments-about-inmates-death-was-unreasonable-court-rules-100862412/

Blogger Russell Webster (UK)

Prisoners on the realities of peer support in prison – Former prisoners and academics coproduce an innovative, retrospective examination of peer-delivered prison suicide prevention.

Peer support has worked pretty well everywhere it has been tried.  Webster tells about a new effort to address the notion of peer support in prison as a response to high suicide numbers.  “The research findings prompted the discussion of three key issues: the riskiness of peer support; inconsistencies in training and working conditions; and the value of peer support.”  https://www.russellwebster.com/the-riskiness-of-peer-support-in-prison/   Full report:  Sage Journals (Abstract only unless a subscriber) Prisoners on prisons: Experiences of peer-delivered suicide prevention work by Gillian Buck et al https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/26326663231172023  Related article: Blogger Russell Webster (UK) – Telerecovery to improve continuity of care for people in prison –  HMPPS is rolling out Telerecovery to all prisons to improve continuity of care for released substance users.    https://www.russellwebster.com/telerecovery-to-improve-continuity-of-care-for-people-in-prison/

Xtra Magazine (Canada)_– Dale Smith

Canadian government partners with Rainbow Railroad to resettle queer and trans refugees – More LGBTQ+ refugees will be resettled faster under new partnership plan

The laws of some foreign countries make being LGBTQ+ a dangerous business – in some places subject to a death penalty.  Canada has reached partnership agreement with the International Rainbow Railroad to identify those in immediate danger and to facilitate their safety.  “This policy has evolved for the past few months, but we’ve been working for the duration of my time as the minister of immigration on strengthening our partnership with Rainbow Railroad, and looking for opportunities for them to take part in the refugee referral process,” Fraser tells Xtra. “This was really led by Kimahli [Powell] at Rainbow Railroad, who presented a common-sense solution to us that will help us achieve our goals to afford protection to some of the world’s most vulnerable people who are being specifically targeted because of their sexual orientation or gender identity.”   https://xtramagazine.com/power/politics/rainbow-railroad-refugee-partnership-government-canada-252324

Related article:  CBC News – Jacques Poitras   Higgs threatens election to quell rebellion over Policy 713 – 6 ministers, 2 backbenchers denounce ‘lack of process and transparency’ but fall in line for key N.B. vote  https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/new-brunswick/blaine-higgs-policy-713-new-brunswick-election-pc-caucus-1.6869622   Related article: CBC News – Darrell Roberts   ‘Enough is enough’ say advocates after St. John’s school faces anti-LGBTQ backlash – School district says it supports Pride events in schools   https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/st-johns-school-lgbtq-hate-1.6870375    Related article: CBC News – Richard Raycraft   LGBTQ Canadians facing a rising tide of hatred, Trudeau says  https://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/transphobia-biphobia-homophobia-rise-trudeau-pride-1.6869803

The Guardian (UK) – Angela Giuffrida

Swiss billionaire jailed over asbestos-related deaths in Italian town

Following news yesterday that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has a priority to pursue cases of significant environmental harm, this news from Italy about the conviction and sentencing of a cement company CEO for the asbestos related death of hundreds serves as a new breathe of air in the struggle to hold corporations and their leadership responsible for their actions.  “Stephan Schmidheiny, an industrialist and former main shareholder in the cement production company Eternit Italia, was sentenced by a court in Novara after being found guilty of causing the death of 392 people in Casale Monferrato, the Piedmont town that until 1986 was home to the largest of Eternit Italia’s six factories.”  https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/jun/08/stephan-schmidheiny-swiss-billionaire-jailed-over-asbestos-related-deaths-piedmont-italy