RE: Notice of trespass to participants in the encampment at St. George campus Dear Kelly, I hope you are doing well amid these very challenging times. I am writing because I am very shocked by the decision of the University of Toronto’s administration to issue a notice of trespass to those taking part in the encampment on your main campus, including students, staff, and professors. I am also alarmed that the administration – of which you are a part as Vice-President of People Strategy, Equity & Culture – has indicated that it may levy penalties, including up to expulsion for students and u ..read more

Justin Piché, PhD Full Professor, Criminology, University of Ottawa Member, Criminalization and Punishment Education Project [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY] Hi everyone. Thank you to the organizers for the invitation to speak with you today and for what you’re doing.    My name is Dr. Justin Piché and I’m a Full Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa. I teach the fourth-year abolitionism course in criminology and I’m the co-author of How to Abolish Prisons: Lessons from the Movement Against Imprisonment, which is being launched here in Ottawa at S ..read more

Justin Piché, PhD Associate Professor, Criminology, University of Ottawa Member, Criminalization and Punishment Education Project [CHECK AGAINST DELIVERY - 29:45- 34:20] Dear members of the Ottawa Police Services Board: My name is Justin Piché and I am an Associate Professor in the Department of Criminology at the University of Ottawa, as well as a member of the Criminalization and Punishment Education Project. Thank you for the opportunity to speak with you. My delegation today concerns the “Lease Agreement for Unit 107, 50 Rideau Street”, which is item 8.10 on your agenda, to cover the ..read more

Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People  Imprisoned in Ontario Provincial Jails: March 2020 to End-December 2021 (21.5 months) versus 2022 End-December 2021 - Total reported since the beginning of the pandemic = 2,250 (34.6% of total) End-December 2022  - New cases reported in 2022 = 4,260 (65.4% of total) - Total reported since the beginning of the pandemic = 6,510 Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People Imprisoned  in Ontario Provincial Jails in 2022 by Month End-January 2022 - Newly reported = 1,754 - Total reported since the beginning of the pandemic = 4,00 ..read more

Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People  Imprisoned in Canadian Federal Penitentiaries: March 2020 to End-December 2021 (21.5 months) versus 2022 End-December 2021 - Total reported since the beginning of the pandemic = 1,768 (23.6% of total) End-December 2022  - New cases reported in 2022 = 5,729 (76.4% of total) - Total reported since the beginning of the pandemic = 7,497 Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People Imprisoned  in Canadian Federal Penitentiaries in 2022 by Month End-January 2022 - Newly reported = 1,118 - Total reported since the beginning of the pandemic ..read more

The Prison Pandemic Partnership launched its Prison Pandemic Papers in March 2022. The dataset includes "unpublished government records obtained using access to information [ATI] and freedom of information [FOI] requests submitted to governments across Canada" that "provide insights into the COVID-19 response of federal, provincial, and territorial prison authorities, along with the impact the pandemic has had on imprisoned people and those working in congregate settings of human caging". It is important to note that a number of governmental records sought by the Prison Pandemic Partnership we ..read more

* Updated 27 February 2022 at 3:05pm ET * OVERALL Prisoners = 16,023 (11 deaths reported) Staff = 5,570 (1 death reported) Contractors = 6  Unknown = 61 Total = 21,660 Canadian Jurisdictions with Reported COVID-19 Cases  Linked to their Jails, Prisons and Penitentiaries by the end of February 2022 Federal | Correctional Service Canada = 4,478 (3,432 prisoners | 1,046 staff)  Newfoundland and Labrador = 22 (22 prisoners | 0 staff) Prince Edward Island = 23 (8 prisoners | 15 staff) Nova Scotia = 147 (146 prisoners | 1 staff) New Brunswick = 338 ..read more

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 2:35pm ET * 117 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Territorial Jails and Prisons in Canada as of the end of February 2022 * Prisoners = 51 Staff =  15 Unknown = 51 Total = 117 * Data based on figures made publicly available through media reporting. Due a lack of proactive disclosure by territorial governments in Canada and the quality of the data available, it is possible that there are additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst territorial prisoners and prison staff in Nunavut, the Northwest Territories, and the Yukon that ..read more

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 2:10pm ET * 278 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to British Columbia Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of December 2021 * Prisoners = 229 Staff =  49 Total = 278 * Data based on figures made publicly available through government, union and media reporting. Due to the quality of the data available (e.g. the last data available is from media reporting on 8 November 2021), it is possible that there are fewer or additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 amongst provincial prisoners and prison staff in British Columbia tha ..read more

 * Updated 27 February 2022 at 1:55pm ET * 3,015 Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to Alberta Provincial Jails and Prisons as of the end of February 2022 * Prisoners = 2,543 adults + 19 youth Staff = 451 Contractors = 2 Total = 3,015 * Data based on figures made publicly available through government, union and media reporting. Due to the quality of the data available (e.g. the last cases linked to Alberta provincial jails and prisons were reported by the Edmonton Journal on 28 January 2022), it is possible that there are additional laboratory confirmed cases of COVID-19 among ..read more