July 22, 2023 – Child hunger…
Hill Times (Canada) – Jesse Cnockaert
Food insecurity for schoolchildren among top issues for first half of 2023: lobbyist registry – The Breakfast Club of Canada is pushing for follow through on a Liberal promise to invest $1-billion over five years towards a national school nutritious meal program.
What has been the most active cause for advocates from the beginning of 2023 with lobbying the federal government? “The Breakfast Club of Canada, which co-ordinates approximately 3,500 school nutrition programs across the country, took the top spot as the most active organization in federal lobbying between January and June.” Many Canadians would be surprised to learn that schools across Canada see the need for a breakfast for school children – itself a most dangerous indication of hunger and food insecurity, but with disastrous long term consequences if an unfilled need. https://www.hilltimes.com/story/2023/07/20/food-insecurity-for-school-children-among-top-issues-for-first-half-of-2023/393168/
Toronto Star – James Pollard, Associated Press
Officials see promise in a South Carolina prison unit where ‘restorative justice’ has boosted safety – TURBEVILLE, S.C. (AP) — A South Carolina prison unit where older men with lengthier sentences mentor young adults preparing to re-enter society is giving officials hope that a different approach to living conditions will reduce violence behind bars.
Pollard is addressing an experiment in what they are calling restorative justice. The notion is that asking persons serving long sentences to mentor those younger persons who have the highest recidivism rates may help prepare for release and help with reducing prison violence. “The special housing facility known as a Community Opportunity Restoration Enhancement (C.O.R.E.) unit emphasizes an unorthodox method of prisoner reform called “restorative justice” that prioritizes open communication and self-correction through group engagement and one-on-one meetings… Even more, participants who inhabit the unit that features walls covered in colorful murals and natural light commended the new initiative for allowing greater freedom in personalizing their spaces and developing trusting relationships alongside correctional officers.” The study of the approach has been done by the US Vera Institute. https://www.thestar.com/news/world/united-states/officials-see-promise-in-a-south-carolina-prison-unit-where-restorative-justice-has-boosted-safety/article_e428f65b-9d31-51e8-8d21-845a79c2fcdc.html?
Law Times (Canada) – Zena Olijnyk
Ontario unveils $166 million investment in digital justice platform – Thomson Reuters wins contract to build system for delivering more services online
The idea is to replace the current paper based procedures with an entirely digital one, speeding up every aspect of the courts and filing systems. The system will allow: filing documents quickly and easily online: digitally accessing court case information online; paying fees online; connecting virtually to hearings; managing court appearances online; receiving decisions electronically. The greatest expectation is in reduction of present huge backlogs but there is no estimate of time for full implementation. https://www.lawtimesnews.com/resources/professional-regulation/ontario-unveils-166-million-investment-in-digital-justice-platform/377982?utm_source=GA&e=bWptbWFuc2ZpZWxkQGJlbGwubmV0&utm_medium=20230720&utm_campaign=LTW-Newsletter-20230720&utm_content=&tu= Related article: Canadian Lawyer – With proper guardrails AI can make justice system more equitable, efficient and accessible: new book – The Legal Singularity: How Artificial Intelligence Can Make Law Radically Better was out July 18 https://www.canadianlawyermag.com/resources/legal-technology/with-proper-guardrails-ai-can-make-justice-system-more-equitable-efficient-and-accessible-new-book/377941?utm_source=GA&e=bWptbWFuc2ZpZWxkQGJlbGwubmV0&utm_medium=20230720&utm_campaign=LTW-Newsletter-20230720&utm_content=&tu=
National News watch / The Canadian Press –
Province directs Surrey, B.C., to stay with local police force despite city’s wishes –
British Columbia Solicitor General Mike Farnworth has invoked his authority to reverse the decisio0n of Surrey Municipal Council to have the RCMP policing services rather than a newly formed municipal police force. The controversy has been on-going since 2018 and resulted in serious purchase and hiring for the municipal police before a change in city council reversed the decision to the RCMP. Now, the province has spoken. “Farnworth said he expects this to be “the final decision” in the tempest between Locke and the provincial government over the fate of policing in Surrey.” https://www.nationalnewswatch.com/2023/07/19/rcmp-or-surrey-police-service-the-b-c-government-to-reveal-its-decision-today/
Blogger Russell Webster (UK) –
Our growing love affair with tagging
Tagging is the name given to the electronic bracelet that monitors people on parole from prison and the electronic anti-alcohol devices. Webster notes that not only are the UK prisons filling but there is also an increase in the use of tagging, 22% increase since last year. Sometimes the court orders a monitor as part of a bail – particularly in immigration cases – about 36% overall last year, accounting for an 67% increase within the immigrant category. Alcohol monitoring has gone up 119%. Monitoring as part of a court sentence has gone down. Webster comments on the use of tagging to appear tough-on-crime but decries the lack of effective analysis. https://www.russellwebster.com/our-growing-love-affair-with-tagging/
The Canadian Press – Stephanie Taylor
Bernardo to stay in medium-security prison as correctional service defends transfer – Paul Bernardo to stay in medium-security prison
Says Corrections Canada Commissioner Anne Kelly: “The decision to transfer serial killer and rapist Paul Bernardo to a medium-security prison was sound, the Correctional Service of Canada announced Thursday, with its commissioner underlining his new lodgings do not make him any less of a “psychopath.” https://www.thecanadianpressnews.ca/politics/bernardo-to-stay-in-medium-security-prison-as-correctional-service-defends-transfer/article_321cb55d-592e-52c7-b6d1-2ad1b676cbfc.html?utm_source=thecanadianpressnews.ca&utm_campaign=%2Fnewsletter%2Foptimize%2Fdaily-newsletter%2F%3F-dc%3D1689949818&utm_medium=email&utm_content=headline
Tweet from John Howard Society on the Bernardo transfer: “Pleased that neither political pressure + rhetoric nor the notoriety/public distain for this prisoner’s crimes resulted in a reversal of an operational, evidence-based, transfer decision that was made by @CSC_SCC_en consistent with the law, policies+procedures”
(https://twitter.com/JohnHoward_Can/status/1682100968953896960?t=lrH-33qkejQIKKCMP7ly9g&s=03)
The Marshall Project – Life Inside – Victoria Lopez, as told to Nicole Lewis
A New Law Gave Me 1 Year With My Babies Before Heading to Prison. How Will
I Say Goodbye? Minnesota’s Healthy Start law allowed Victoria Lopez to begin her seven-year prison sentence at home with her infant twins. Now comes the separation.
The arrangement seems terribly clever ad most humane, allowing the maternal bonding after birth. But typically, women serve shorter sentences and the option to spend time at home after birth comes nears the end of the sentence. One would wonder if the circumstances for Lopez could not re-assess the need for prison time at all. Her offence was selling drugs and her case was decided by a plea deal following two years of bail and self-improvement steps. The link offers four other stories about pregnant women in prison. https://www.themarshallproject.org/2023/07/21/prison-mother-parent-babies-separation-minnesota?utm_source=TMP-Newsletter&utm_campaign=2dafbc350f-EMAIL_CAMPAIGN_2023_07_21_03_29&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_5e02cdad9d-2dafbc350f-%5BLIST_EMAIL_ID%5D
Matthew Desmond (US) Sociologist
Poverty, by America
The title is a new book (available on Amazon) but also a 30 minute Youtube video. Former US President Barack Obama has put the book at the top of his summer read list. Desmond says that the book looks at how we tolerate so much poverty rather than describing the poverty we encounter. Youtube: Washington Post interviews Desmond https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nw5GoTq2vBE