presentation slides - justin piché - symposium on prison crowding and human rights
TRANSCRIPT
Jus$n Piché, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Criminology University of O>awa www.tpcp-‐canada.blogspot.com
Twi>er and YouTube @tpcpcanada jus$n.piche@uo>awa.ca
Ar$st: Peter Collins
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Criminaliza$on and Punishment Educa$on Project
CULTURAL
INSTITUTIONAL
LEGAL
ECONOMIC
VOICES
POLITICAL
HISTORICAL
ALTERNATIVES
SOCIAL
Building and Synthesizing Knowledge Raising Awareness and Advoca$ng for Change
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The State of Canada’s Prisons: Overcrowding Today and Working Towards
Penal Minimalism Tomorrow
The Provincial-‐Territorial Prison Popula$on
Examples of Facility Overcrowding
Consequences of Human Warehousing
The Road We’re On and Changing Course
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The Provincial-‐Territorial Prison Popula$on
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AVERAGE DAILY PRISONER COUNT (I)
2006-‐07 2007-‐08 2008-‐09 2009-‐10 2010-‐11
Sentenced 10,019.7 9,973.9 9,927.9 10,040.7 10,916.4
Remand 12,168.4 12,972.5 13,547.9 13,738.7 13,085.8
Other 311.7 348.2 349.1 342.2 458.3
Total 22,499.8 23,114.8 23,825.1 24,121.7 24,460.7
SOURCE: Sta$s$cs Canada (2012) CANSIM Table 251-‐0005, O>awa.
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AVERAGE DAILY PRISONER COUNT (II)
* 2010-‐11 ** 2011-‐12 (preliminary)
NL 314 344 NS 426 588 NB 452 424 PEI 114 111 ON 8,731 8,802 BC 2,818 2,634
SOURCES: * Sta$s$cs Canada (2012) CANSIM Table 251-‐0005, O>awa.
** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.
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** On 1 April 2012 (preliminary)
312 580 423 117 9,648 2,544
Examples of Facility Overcrowding
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NEW BRUNSWICK
* “…opera$ng at about 40% over capacity, averaging close to 400 inmates in an adult system originally designed for 284 people”
** “…general prac$ce is to double bunk”
SOURCES: * NB Community and Correc$onal Services Branch (2008)
Building Hope: Towards A Renewed Vision of New Brunswick CorrecEons, Fredericton – March, page 18.
** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa. 8
PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND
* “…designed for four females […] up to 18 female offenders are housed”
** “…20 addi$onal beds have been created
through shared accommoda$on”
SOURCES: * PEI Office of the A>orney General (2008) Challenges to OpportuniEes:
A Look at PEI’s Adult CorrecEonal FaciliEes 25 Years Forward, Charlo>etown – November, page 3.
** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.
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ONTARIO
* Average total capacity of 9,206 in 2011-‐12
** “It’s horrible. We’re s$ll overcrowded. We’re s$ll five in a cell built for two”
SOURCES: * Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.
** St. Thomas Times Journal (2012) “Overcrowding at Elgin-‐Middlesex Deten$on Centre described as ‘horrible’” – August 10.
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MANITOBA
* “Headingley [capacity = 485 / u$liza$on = 814] and the Winnipeg Remand Centre [capacity = 289 / u$liza$on = 400] are incarcera$ng twice as many
inmates as they were designed to hold”
SOURCES: Batchelor, Megan (2012) “Documents obtained by Global News show Manitoba prisons burs$ng at the seams”, Global News – August 17.
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ALBERTA
* “…a 24-‐year-‐old man, who was placed in a cell with two 20 year olds, became involved in an argument. “A short $me later […] he was checked by cell guards and was found unconscious on his ma>ress”, said Duty Insp. Jim Leung […] the man
has severe head injuries”
SOURCES: CBC News (2012) “Calgary inmate hospitalized
with severe head injuries” – August 21. 12
BRITISH COLUMBIA
* “…at any $me about 90% of inmates are double-‐celled”
** Capacity u$liza$on of 156% in 2011-‐12
SOURCES: * BC Correc$ons Branch (2009) “Lower Mainland Pretrial Centre:
Background Informa$on”, Victoria – April, page 1. ** Canadian Criminal Jus$ce Associa$on (2012) Appendix A, O>awa.
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Consequences of Human Warehousing
Lack of Programming and Recrea$on Opportuni$es Violence and Self-‐harm
Disease Escapes
Labour Issues Public Inquiries
Risk of Charter Challenges Loss of Public Confidence
SOURCE: Piché, Jus$n (in prepara$on) “Penal Reform and Carceral Conclusions:
Explaining Recent Prison Capacity Expansion in Canada”. 14
The Road We’re On and Changing Course
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INTERIM MEASURES
Conversion of Programming Spaces Into Dorms Incarcera$on of Adults in Youth Spaces
Transfers to Other Facili$es Exhaus$on of Exchange of Service Agreements
SOURCE: Piché, Jus$n (in prepara$on) “Penal Reform and Carceral Conclusions:
Explaining Recent Prison Capacity Expansion in Canada”.
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REDEFINING THE TERM “CAPACITY”
“Jurisdic$ons across Canada report overcrowding – some$mes extreme […] in other jurisdic$ons, such as Western Canada, ins$tu$ons have redefined their approved bed capacity and frequently have
two and three prisoners to a cell”
SOURCE: Deloi>e (2008) Report on Nova ScoEa’s Adult CorrecEonal FaciliEes,
submi>ed to the Nova Sco$a Department of Jus$ce – October, page 95.
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PRISON CAPACITY EXPANSION
PROVINCIAL-‐TERRITORIAL 22 New Prisons 17 New Units
6,312 Addi;onal Prisoner Beds $3.4 Billion in
Construc;on-‐related Costs
SOURCE: Piché, Jus$n (2012) “Accessing the State of Imprisonment in Canada: Informa$on Barriers and Nego$a$on Strategies”, in Mike Larsen and Kevin Walby (eds.) Brokering Access: Power, PoliEcs, and Freedom of InformaEon Process in Canada, Vancouver: UBC Press, pp. 234-‐260.
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THE INTENSIFICATION OF PUNISHMENT
Further Restric$ons to Condi$onal Sentences
Less Credit for Time Served in Remand
Mandatory Minimum Sentences
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MOVING FORWARD
Punishment Legisla$on Moratorium
Na$onal Discussion Revisi$ng What is Criminalized, Vic$miza$on Preven$on and Mee$ng the Human
Needs Resul$ng From Criminalized Conflicts and Harms
Amending the Criminal Code of Canada + Inves$ng in Vic$miza$on Preven$on and
Services to Meet the Needs of the Criminalized and Vic$mized
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Jus$n Piché, PhD Assistant Professor
Department of Criminology University of O>awa www.tpcp-‐canada.blogspot.com
Twi>er and YouTube @tpcpcanada jus$n.piche@uo>awa.ca
Ar$st: Peter Collins