What is ‘closure’ in criminal justice?
850 words; 4 minutes to read ‘Providing closure’ is one of the comments we often hear in media coverage of verdicts and sentences in criminal cases. The suggestion is that a harsh sentence provides victims of crime, or family members...
Read MoreCons and Kernels 3 – Stuff About Prison
600 words; 3 minutes to read Cons and Kernels owner/entrepreneur Emily O’Brien has been in the news a lot lately as she continues to build her business and is a great spokesperson for seeing ex-prisoners in a positive light. Earlier...
Read MoreWhy conviction does not always imply guilt
930 words; 4 minutes to read Some people are found guilty of crimes they did not commit, and many more people plead guilty to specific charges that are inaccurate. Yet once someone has pled guilty or been convicted, we seem...
Read MoreMichael Bryant, CCLA and criminal justice
The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA) is a champion for civil rights in all areas of Canadian life. Criminal justice is one of its focus areas. The organization has been very active in mounting court challenges around some of the...
Read MoreRestorative justice and sexual assault – Marlee Liss story
580 words; 3 minutes to read One of the most contentious areas in criminal justice discussion is around sexual assault. Clearly there are very significant issues here around sexual encounters, and consent. These are difficult for the criminal justice system...
Read MoreMost people can’t afford a proper legal defense
950 words; 4 minutes to read. A fundamental aspect of justice in Canada is that any accused person has the right to make a proper defense. In practice, this right does not exist for most Canadians because they cannot afford...
Read MoreUniversity editorial on criminal justice
800 words; 4 minutes to read The following is an edited version of an editorial that appeared in the November 15 issue of the University of Manitoba student newspaper, The Manitoban. We reproduce it here as an example of excellent...
Read MoreBeyond Incarceration
950 words; 4 minutes to read Paula Mallea has had a long and distinguished career as a criminal defense lawyer and public policy advocate. Having worked extensively with prisoners, and with Indigenous people in the justice system, she became a...
Read MoreWhy we like punishment
675 words; 3 minutes One of the great myths about the criminal justice system is that one of its major purposes is rehabilitation, helping people who did something wrong improve themselves so they will no longer commit crimes. But when...
Read MoreHow media coverage can distort ideas about crime
750 words; 4 minutes to read This post is drawn from a single graphic produced by the wonderful web site Our World in Data. That site provides brilliant analyses of large amounts of data, often over long periods of time,...
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