Tag Archive: alternative policies

High rates of child abuse among Canadians in jail

February 23, 2019

This post is 700 words and can be read in about 3 minutes. Canadian jails and prisons are full of people who experienced various forms of abuse while they were themselves children, according to a summary of research recently published...

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Good resource: Speakers on criminal justice in Canada

February 2, 2019

This post is about 400 words and can be read in 2 minutes. Many voluntary organizations across Canada do excellent work in the field of criminal justice (see previous post on some of them).  Since 2010, a Toronto church, Eglinton-St....

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Editorial: Time for action on pardons!

January 21, 2019 |

This post is 600 words and can be read in 2-3 minutes. Three years ago Ralph Goodale promised ‘fairness’ with reforms to Criminal Records Act – it’s time to make good on that promise Almost 4 million people in Canada...

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Do prosecutors have too much discretion?

January 14, 2019

This post is about 750 words and can be read in 3 minutes. More than 90% of criminal charges in Canada never go to trial.  They are either dropped by the Crown or the accused pleads guilty to something.  This...

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A Christian view on criminal justice

December 4, 2018

This post is 800 words and can be read in about 3 minutes. Churches have long been among the leaders in criminal justice reform efforts in Canada.  Recently, criminal law professor Benjamin Perrin gave a talk in his personal capacity...

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Crime in Canada: An overview

November 22, 2018

This post is about 700 words and can be read in about 3 minutes. It’s not easy to find a careful and balanced overview of crime and punishment in Canada, but anyone wanting such an overview should consult Diane Crocker’s...

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Globe and Mail coverage of prison reform

November 16, 2018 |

This post is about 1150 words and can be read in 5-6 minutes. On Nov 6, the Globe and Mail newspaper ran an editorial called “Fixing solitary isn’t enough.  Canada’s prisons need to be reformed top to bottom”.  The editorial...

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Benefits of Restorative Justice

November 6, 2018

This post is about 900 words and can be read in 4-5 minutes. Restorative justice (RJ) is one of those approaches often advocated yet not often used.  Despite its seeming advantages and the efforts of some advocates such as Margot...

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