Mandela Day is an annual global celebration that takes place on July 18th to honour the life and legacy of Nelson Mandela. This day is a call to action for individuals, communities, and organizations to take time to reflect on Mandela’s values and principles and to make a positive impact in their own communities.

The John Howard Society of Canada is urging the Government of Canada to incorporate the Mandela Rules into domestic laws and fulfill its responsibilities as a Member State of the Group of Friends of the Nelson Mandela Rules. Prisoners are often an overlooked population. However, the repercussions of incarceration affect all of us in numerous ways: public safety, our health, our community’s finances, social cohesion, and ultimately, the human dignity of us all. The John Howard Society of Canada stands with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) and numerous other organizations in emphasizing the importance of why #PrisonersMatter. Below is a document that outlines a few Mandela Rules and how it relates to what is happening in Canada.

“It is said that no one truly knows a nation until one has been inside its jails. A nation should not be judged by how it treats its highest citizens, but its lowest ones.” — Nelson Mandela