Vic Toews and the League of Imaginary Crime Fighters

http://www.huffingtonpost.ca/joan-ruzsa/vic-toews-crime-rate_b_1734062.html So this is rich: the Conservatives are taking credit for the falling crime rate. On July 24, after Statistics Canada reported that police-reported crime was at its lowest level in 40 years, Minister of Public Safety Vic Toews tweeted “Crime rate down 6% – shows CPC tough on crime is working. Rate is still … Continue reading →

Crime Doesn’t Deter Tories – Nor Do Facts

by Joan Ruzsa Huffington Post July 16th, 2012 There’s something I don’t understand about us humans. We can cure disease, explore outer space, access information from around the world in a split second and discover the God particle, and yet the best idea we have come up with to respond to crime and social harm … Continue reading →

B.C. joins Quebec and Ontario with fears over federal crime bill

Except from Vancouver Sun articles about the cost to the provinces of Bill C-10: “The Conservatives have promised to have the Safe Streets and Communities legislation written into law within 100 days of the start of the session of parliament. The legislation contains new mandatory minimum sentences for drug offences — including marijuana. Although mandatory … Continue reading →

A Meaner Canada: Junk Politics and the Omnibus Crime Bill

From Alex Himelfarb’s blog, this post eloquently addresses the problems with the Conservatives law and order legislative agenda, and its contribution to the debasement of Canadian politics. http://afhimelfarb.wordpress.com/2011/05/29/a-meaner-canada-junk-politics-and-the-omnibus-crime-bill/ ___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Excerpt:  “Canada’s new Parliament is poised to reshape Canada’s criminal justice system and, in significant ways, Canada itself.   Within 100 sitting days of its resumption Parliament … Continue reading →

Club Fed – Part 2

by Giselle Dias ____________________________________________________________________________________________ I have been into almost all the prisons across canada or at least two thirds of the prisons.  For those of you who are unaware we have different prison systems. There is the federal prison system which holds people serving 2 years or more and the provincial systems that hold people … Continue reading →

Liberals ask budget watchdog to estimate cost of Tory crime bill

Liberals ask budget watchdog to estimate cost of Tory crime bill from Canada.com:  Politics and the Nation – Postmedia News Written by Andrew Mayeda ___________________________________________________________________________________________ The Liberals have asked Parliamentary Budget Officer Kevin Page to review the costs of another crime bill introduced by the Harper government. The bill, known officially as An Act to … Continue reading →

More Evidence That We Spend Ridiculous Amounts of Money on Prison

Tory crime bill to cost extra $618M per year, report finds OTTAWA—A new law that limits the amount of time federal inmates can get for time served in custody before and during their trial will cost the federal government $618 million more per year, says a new report from Parliament’s budget watchdog. That does not … Continue reading →

A Foolhardy Approach to Criminal Justice

from  http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/monitor/foolhardy-approach-criminal-justice Harper’s “tough-on-crime” bills costly, counterproductive by Paula Mallea National Office | The Monitor Issue(s): Human rights, Law and legal issues April 1, 2010 The Harper government is reintroducing its proposed “tough-on-crime” laws that were killed when Harper prorogued Parliament in January. These crime bills, if passed, will result in the lengthy incarceration of … Continue reading →

June 12th Prisoners’ Justice Community Meeting

Please circulate widely . . . On February 27th, 2010, and then again on April 17th, a group of over 50 people came together to create a coalition that is committed to creating community justice.  The group consists of people from different backgrounds and disparate areas of expertise, but we are all united to find … Continue reading →

Burgeoning prison budgets spared the axe

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/burgeoning-prison-budgets-spared-the-axe/article1515105/?service=email. By Bill Curry Globe and Mail March 29, 2010 As Ottawa sets deep cuts for public service, Corrections Canada goes on a hiring spree Ottawa will spend more money on federal prisons in coming years – a rare exception to government-wide restraint and a sharp contrast to efforts by cash-strapped American states to save … Continue reading →