Oades: Tories’ approach to corrections endangers prisoners, public

THE HARPER “WAR ON CRIME” HURTS US ALL – “The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC), once recognized as a world leader in research and practice, is now lagging far behind many other systems through its more punitive approach to the management of offenders. To see proof of the failure of strategies like those being pursued by Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s government, we need only to look to many states in America. Its “war on crime” included a significant reduction in judicial discretion, dramatic cutbacks to rehabilitation programs and the dismantling of reintegration infrastructure. This resulted in massive increases in prison populations and cost increases that promised to bankrupt future generations. Many states are now working to undo these policies and replace their strategies with a model very similar to the one that the Harper government has scrapped here in Canada. These states include Texas, which can hardly be described as being soft of crime.”

Oades: Tories’ approach to corrections endangers prisoners, public.

PREVENTATIVE ARREST – Minority Reportesque

This causes me concern. Parents of a 21 year old call police because they’re concerned he has become radicalized. Police arrest him as a “preventative measure”, search his house and find a map that has 4 local police stations marked. He made no threats and has no history of criminal conduct. He is charged under the new terrorism hoax criminal offence section and held in custody. Federal Public Safety Minister Steven Blaney praises police.

Jeffrey Labelle, 21, facing terror hoax charge in Montreal – Montreal – CBC News.

WHO IS POLICING THE POLICE? JUDGES (And they may not be doing such a good job.)

Don’t think that because you haven’t done anything wrong you don’t have to worry about being physically abused by the police. That is just not the reality. (Read the article.) Before we had the Charter of Rights and Freedoms in 1982 nobody policed the police. Now it falls to the Judges to do this. “It can only happen when the courts, other officers and prosecutors start treating police officers as they would any other person accused of or being investigated for a crime or abusive, corrupt or violent behaviour.”

The time has come to start policing Canada’s police | rabble.ca.

MANDATORY MINIMUM SENTENCES – WHY SHOULD I CARE?

This article explains it well. “Our criminal justice system is almost exclusively a system of plea bargaining, negotiated behind closed doors with no judicial oversight. The outcome is largely determined by the prosecutor alone” who because of MMS and ability to shape the charges can effectively dictate the sentence. It is one sided, secret, evaporates the presumption of innocence and induces false pleas of guilty. It’s a frightening system to get caught up in – especially if you’re truly innocent.

Why Innocent People Plead Guilty: Judge Rakoff, Eddie Coyle, Albert Camus and Sweet Dreams of Oppression | White Collar Wire.

CONTROLLING PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT

We have judges to pass judgement and sentence upon those who have broken the law AND to protect all of us by controlling the excessive and unjust use of governmental authority and power. By removing power from judges through the use of mandatory minimum sentences and orders and handing the decision making ability to prosecutors the federal government is negating the second function. We will end up as the U.S. finds itself that “There is an epidemic of prosecutorial misconduct abroad in the land. Only judges can put a stop to it.” but our judges will no longer have the power to do so.

Judge Kevin Thomas Duffy Blasts Federal Prosecutor For Lying in Court | New York Observer.

SEARCH OF CELL PHONE INCIDENT TO ARREST

The Supreme Court of Canada today decided it was lawful for police to conduct a limited search of a cell phone, without a warrant, as an incident of arrest. What is important to note is that the subject cell phone was not password protected nor otherwise locked. I foresee the case in the near future where police will think they have the right to demand your password to enforce their “lawful” right to search your cellphone and charge you with obstruct police if you don’t. PASSWORD PROTECT OR ENCRYPT YOUR PHONE.

CanLII – 2013 ONCA 106 (CanLII).

WE NOW HAVE TO RELY UPON FEDERAL EMPLOYEES FOR JUSTICE

After all, it’s only weed, his conduct was not dangerous or anti-social and the law is an ass. In this case the Federal Prosecutor permitted a plea to trafficking instead of production, otherwise the Judge would be required to impose the Harper mandatory minimum jail sentence of at least ONE YEAR. This is an example of how Harper has removed power from impartial Judges and placed it in the hands of his own controlled paid employees.

B.C. judge gives absolute discharge for man caught growing 414 pot plants | Metro.