ge ts: Mo ving tar Re putatio nal r isk, r ights and ac c o - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

ge ts: Mo ving tar Re putatio nal r isk, r ights and ac c o untability in punishme nt Source: Correctional Investigator of Canada Pro fe sso r K e lly Ha nna h-Mo ffa t Unive rsity o f T o ro nto ha nna h.mo ffa t@ uto ro nto .c a

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Huma n Rig hts Mile sto ne s Standar d Minimum Ab o litio n o f o le Ac t Par Rule s fo r the Co rpo ra l and T r e atme nt o f Punishme nt Ab o rig ina l Na tio na l Pr iso ne r s E lde rs in Canadian Bill o f Pa ro le Bo a rd F e de ra l Rights 1973 1976 Pe nite ntia rie s 1959 1960 1972 1975 Ab o litio n o f Cre a tio n o f the De a th Inde pe nde nt Offic e o f the Pe na lty Cha irpe rso n Co rre c tio na l Wo me n tine au Mar Canadian fo r Inve stig a to r Co rre c tio na l a nd the Char te r o f Adjudic a ting Offic e rs in Duty to Ac t Rights and Disc iplina ry Ma le F a irly F r e e do ms Ma tte rs 1992 1995 Institutio ns 1977 1978 1980 1982 Re g io na l Co r r e c tio ns F a c ilitie s fo r and Co mme mo ra ting the 50th Wo me n Co nditio nal Annive rsa ry o f the Unite d Re le ase Ac t Offe nde rs Na tio ns Unive rsa l De c la ra tio n o f Huma n Rig hts Source: Correctional Service of Canada

Huma n Rig hts in the Punishme nt L ite ra ture So urc e : Ca na d ia n Asso c ia tio n o f E liza b e th F ry So c ie tie s De b a te s a re te mpo ra l a nd spa tia l; sha pe d  b y b ro a de r so c ia l c o nte xt a nd po litic s F o c us o n the ‘ me aning s’ o f c rue l, inhuma ne  o r de g ra ding tre a tme nt F ra me the pro b le m a s an e nfo rc e me nt issue  F o c us o n the parado x o f pro c e dural justic e 

Que stio ns:  Ho w institutio ns think a b o ut a nd re spo nd to c a lls fo r inc re a se d a c c o unta b ility to rule o f la w a nd huma n rig hts?  Ho w do pe na l a dministra to rs a tte mpt to pro te c t rig hts, while simulta ne o usly mitig a ting risk a nd justifying e xtre me inte rve ntio ns (pro lo ng e d iso la tio n, c he mic a l se da tio n, re stra int, fo rc e , a nd insuffic ie nt he a lth c a re )?  Are ne w mo de s o f a na lysis a nd a dvo c a c y re q uire d

K e y po ints Priso ne rs’ rig hts b e c o me ‘ risks’ to b e ma na g e d. 1. By e xa mining the ‘ a g e nc y do c ume nts’ (Rile s 2. 2006, Jo hns 2013) , a nd ‘ mic ro -po litic s o f tro ub le ’ me rso n 2008, 2010 in Ca la vita a nd Je nne ss 2013 ), we (E e xpo se ho w rig hts-info rme d priso n g o ve rna nc e va rio usly fo c use s o n the ma na g e me nt o f e ve nts inste a d o f individua ls. E me rg e nt fo rms o f rig hts-b a se d risk 3. ma na g e me nt a re ne utra lizing a nd impe ding le g a l mo b iliza tio n o f rig hts a s we ll a s pe na l c ulture whe re in rig hts a re inc re a sing ly ha rd to c la im.

Me tho ds  Do c ume nta ry a na lysis o f:  re po rts o f de a ths in c usto dy a nd inq ue sts pe rta ining to e ve nts a t priso ns;  CSC re po rts o n the ir institutio na l re spo nse s to the se inc ide nt;  re po rts o f the Offic e o f the Co rre c tio na l I nve stig a to r (o mb udsma n), Ca na dia n Huma n Rig hts Co mmissio n, Audito r Ge ne ra l a nd Advo c a c y o rg a niza tio ns tha t de ta il rig hts a nd pro c e dura l c o nc e rns.  K no wle dg e a c q uire d fro m:  b e ing a n e xpe rt witne ss a nd po lic y a dviso r in two o f the mo st se nsa tio na l inc ide nts in Ca na dia n wo me n’ s c o rre c tio ns - the Arb o ur I nq uiry (1994) a nd the Ashle y Smith I nq ue st (o ng o ing ) - a s we ll a s two Charte r o f Rig hts and F re e do ms c a se s.  re vie wing ho urs o f vide o ta pe s a nd tho usa nd o f pa g e s o f e vide nc e , inte rvie w tra nsc ripts, e tc .  inte rvie ws with po lic y ma ke rs a nd a tte nda nc e a t sta ke ho lde r me e ting s.

T he Ashle y Smith Case :

Pre ve nting De a th (o r se lf-injurio us e ve nt) ‘ F unny thing is tha t I like d Ashle y. She ha d so me g o o d q ua litie s. She wa s funny, whe n she wa s c ho king he rse lf, I wa s he a rtb ro ke n.’ – c o rre c tio na l o ffic e r (RT J) Photos: CBC News

Co nditio ns o f c o nfine me nt “I n re a lity, this g irl wa s living in a c e ll in whic h a ll the flo o r tile s we re re mo ve d, a ll the lig ht fixture s we re g o ne , a nd the sprinkle r ha d b e e n c o ve re d. T he y re tro fitte d the se g sho we r so she c o uldn’ t g e t a ny pie c e s o f me ta l. She wa s o nly e ve r a llo we d two pie c e s o f to ile t pa pe r a t a time . She wa sn’ t a llo we d a fo o d tra y. We ha d no wa y o f kno wing if she wa s a c tua lly ta king he r me dic a tio n. We do n’ t e ve n ha ve dire c t o b se rva tio n ro o ms. She wo uld lie do wn o n the flo o r in fro nt o f the fo o d slo t o n the drie d ta r le ft fro m the tile a dhe sive , rig ht a g a inst the do o r whe re we c o uldn’ t se e he r we ll.” - (RT J – q uo te c o rre c tio na l o ffic e r)

Co nte xt  De a th o f K ine w Ja me s, in the Re g io na l Psyc hia tric Ce ntre in Sa ska to o n, o the r ma le de a ths in c usto dy  T he b irth o f a b a b y o n a dirty c e ll flo o r to a re ma nde d priso ne r  Pe nding huma n rig hts c a se s pe rta ining to the pro lo ng e d use o f so lita ry Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada c o nfine me nt le a ding to le g a l c ha lle ng e s fo r tho se de e me d diso rde rly(i.e . Hisc o c ks and MCS/Vanie r Ce ntre fo r Wo me n; Wo rm v. Re g ina )

 T he c o ntinue d a nd e sc a la ting use o f punitive te c hniq ue s suc h a s lo ng te rm se g re g a tio n, se a rc he s, lo c k do wns, va rio us type s o f fo rc e in re spo nse to re sista nt b e ha vio ur;  Ove rlo a de d a nd ill- e q uippe d sta ff;  Ne e d fo r o ng o ing wo me n-c e ntre d sta ff tra ining ;  Co ntra dic to ry a nd unc le a r po lic ie s;  Ab se nc e o f c o mmunity re le a se a nd wo rk re le a se o ptio ns fo r wo me n. Source: Office of the Correctional Investigator of Canada

Pub lic ly a va ila b le re po rts do c ume nt:  Co nc e rn fo r due pro c e ss a nd the pro te c tio n o f huma n rig hts  Ab se nc e o f me nta l he a lth se rvic e s fo r wo me n with a c ute psyc ho lo g ic a l a nd psyc hia tric ne e ds  Ab se nc e o f g e nde r-a ppro pria te c la ssific a tio n to o ls  Co ntinue d o ve r-c la ssific a tio n o f Ab o rig ina l wo me n  Ne e d fo r impro ve d a c c e ss to pro g ra ms a nd se rvic e s spe c ific ally de sig ne d to me e t the ne e ds o f wo me n

T he Re po rt o f the T ask F o rc e o n F e de rally Se nte nc e d Wo me n (1990)

L e g a lity a nd Pe na lity T he Ho no ura b le L o uise Arb o ur no te d “ de spite this ple tho ra o f no rmative re q uire me nts, o ne se e s little e vide nc e o f the will to yie ld prag matic c o nc e rns to the dic tate s o f a le g al o rde r. T he Rule of L aw is abse nt, although e ” r ule s ar e e ve r ywhe r (Arb o ur 1997:180).

“One must re sist the te mptatio n to trivialize the infring e me nt o f priso ne rs’ rig hts as e ithe r an insig nific ant infring e me nt o f rig hts, o r as an infring e me nt o f the rig hts o f pe o ple who do no t de se rve any b e tte r. Whe n a rig ht has b e e n g rante d b y law, it is no le ss impo rtant that suc h rig ht b e re spe c te d b e c ause the pe rso n e ntitle d to it is a priso ne r.” — Ma da m Justic e L ouise Ar bour , 1996 “We re spe c t the dig nity o f individuals, the rig hts o f all me mb e rs o f so c ie ty, and the po te ntial fo r human g ro wth and de ve lo pme nt.” — Cor r e c tiona l Se r vic e of Ca na da

L e g a l fra me wo rk I nte rna tio na l Huma n Rig hts Ob lig a tio ns (i.e ., UN  Minimum sta nd a rd s o f the tre a tme nt o f priso ne rs) Co nstitutio na l rig hts (i.e ., Charte r o f Rig hts and  F re e do ms ) Do me stic la ws (i.e ., CCRA, CHRA, Priva c y, Ac c e ss,  OL ) CSC Po lic y (i.e ., c o mmissio ne rs d ire c tive s; re g io na l  instruc tio ns a nd sta nd ing o rd e rs; po lic y ma nua ls) F a ir a nd tra nspa re nt d e c isio n-ma king  UN De c la ra tio n o n the T re a tme nt o f F e ma le Priso ne rs 

Re ma ining fo c us Priso ne rs’ rig hts b e c o me o rg a niza tio na l ‘ risks’ 1. to b e stra te g ic a lly / e ffic ie ntly ma na g e d. Sho w ho w the ‘ a g e nc y o f do c ume nts’ a nd 2. the ‘ mic ro po litic s o f tro ub le ’ shift e mpha sis fro m the pe na l sub je c t to the pe na l e ve nt (a c o mpe ting a nd c o e xisting stra te g y o f re g ula tio n). E me rg e nt fo rm o f risk ma na g e me nt 3. ne utra lize rig hts c la ims a nd pro duc e a ske we d se nse o f ‘ no rma l o r ro utine ’ e ve nts.