NEWS

 

 

News Release – Federal Court Victory for Incarcerated Deaf Person

Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Burnaby, British Columbia) – Today, Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) announces that the Federal Court has cancelled a decision finding one of its clients, who is Deaf and Indigenous, guilty of a serious disciplinary offence. The client...

Request for inquest into the death of Kendal Campeau

On February 28, the Union of BC Indian Chiefs, the BC First Nations Justice Council, the First Nations Summit and Prisoners' Legal Services wrote to the Chief Coroner to request an inquest into the death of Kendal Campeau, of the Yellow Quill First Nation, who passed...

PLS is hiring a receptionist/admin assistant!

Receptionist/Administrative Assistant Prisoners’ Legal Services, Burnaby, BC   Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a receptionist/administrative assistant who wants to use their skills to support the rights of people in prison. We are a small non-profit society...

News Release: Indigenous organizations and legal aid clinic rebuke Canada for mass incarceration of Indigenous people, call for redirection of funding to Indigenous governments and organizations as part of Canada’s human rights review by the United Nations

Geneva – Today, Dene lawyer Jennifer Duncan is in Geneva leading up to Canada’s 4th Universal Periodic Review (UPR) Pre-Session to draw international attention to Canada’s continued mass incarceration of Indigenous people. Jennifer Duncan is voicing the calls of the...

PLS is Hiring a Legal Advocate!

LEGAL ADVOCATE Prisoners’ Legal Services, Burnaby, BC    Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for passionate, problem solving, empathetic and dedicated advocates for the rights of people in prison. We are a small non-profit society providing legal services to people...

We’re hiring!

LEGAL ADVOCATE Prisoners’ Legal Services, Burnaby, BC   Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a passionate, problem solving, empathetic and dedicated advocate for the rights of people in prison with a focus on prison discipline. We are a small non-profit society...

Cruel COVID lockdowns continue despite public health recommendations

Prisoners' Legal Services wrote to CSC Commissioner Anne Kelly today with our concerns that Mission Medium has imposed another COVID lockdown, now in its 10th day, imposing cruel conditions of confinement and 24 hours of isolation without meaningful human contact....

We are hiring a 2023 articling student!

2023 ARTICLING STUDENT JOB POSTING This position is for a two year term (articles and first year staff lawyer) to start in May or June, 2023. Burnaby, BC About the organization Prisoners’ Legal Services is a legal clinic serving people in federal and provincial...

We are hiring a receptionist/administrative assistant!

Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a receptionist/administrative assistant who wants to use their skills to support the rights of people in prison. We are a small non-profit society providing legal services to people in federal and provincial prisons in the...

PLS is hiring an Intake Worker/Administrative Assistant

Intake worker/Administrative Assistant Prisoners’ Legal Services, Burnaby, BC Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a compassionate intake worker/administrative assistant who wants to use their skills to support the rights of people in prison. We are a small...

PLS Submission to Public Safety Committee

On Friday June 18, 2021, Prisoners' Legal Services made submissions to the House of Commons Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security on CSC's response to COVID-19, its implementation of Structured Intervention Units and sexual violence in federal...

We’re hiring an articling student!

Prisoners' Legal Services ARTICLING STUDENT JOB POSTING Two year term - May 2021 to April 2023 Burnaby, BC About the organization Prisoners’ Legal Services is a legal clinic serving federal and provincial prisoners in British Columbia. We assist prisoners with issues...

We’re hiring!

LEGAL ADVOCATE Prisoners’ Legal Services, Burnaby, BC    Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a passionate, problem solving, empathetic and dedicated advocate for prisoners’ rights, with a focus on liberty rights. We are a small non-profit society providing legal...

We’re hiring!

LEGAL ADVOCATE Prisoners’ Legal Services, Burnaby, BC    Prisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a passionate, problem solving, empathetic and dedicated advocate for prisoners’ rights, with a focus on liberty rights. We are a small non-profit society providing legal...

Medical professionals call for depopulation of prisons and jails

On April 6, 2020, Prisoners' Legal Services and Dr. Claire Bodkin wrote to federal and BC provincial government authorities and health officers to share a letter, signed by over 100 doctors, nurses and other health providers across Canada, urgently calling for the...

PLS calls for decarceration during COVID-19 pandemic

Prisoners' Legal Services is among many organizations and individuals calling on provincial and federal governments to reduce incarceration to prevent the spread of COVID-19 inside prisons. You can read our letter to government here: 20200319 - Call to Reduce...

Joey Toutsaint on CBC’s The Fifth Estate

Follow this link to see the Fifth Estate's story about CSC's continued use of solitary confinement on Joey Toutsaint, 12 years after the tragic death of Ashley Smith:...

Call to action on the eve of National Indigenous Peoples Day

Today, Prisoners' Legal Services called on the governments of Canada and British Columbia to take immediate and dramatic action to address the crisis of the over-representation of Indigenous prisoners. Click here to see our open letter to government. We make this call...

PLS’ submission to the Senate Committee on Bill C-83

Bill C-83 has undergone some amendments since we made our submissions to government in November, 2018. However, PLS is still concerned that the Bill does not take Canada's use of isolation out of the United Nation's definition of solitary confinement, and recent case...

Solitary – A Case for Abolition

WCPJS/PLS has released a report on the use of solitary confinement in BC and Canada. Solitary: A Case for Abolition is a detailed prescription for the best practices in abolishing solitary confinement in Canada. This project is funded by the Law Foundation of...

Submissions regarding Canada’s Third Universal Periodic Review

Submissions regarding Canada's Third Universal Periodic Review On July 16, 2018, PLS attended a meeting with representatives from the Department of Canadian Heritage regarding Canada’s United Nations Human Rights Council third universal periodic review of Canada. 107...

PLS appears before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights

PLS appears before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights On August 11, 2018, Prisoners' Legal Services appeared before the Senate Standing Committee on Human Rights for its study on the human rights of prisoners in Canada. We recommend that Canada invest in...

We’re hiring! Contract Lawyer/Prisoner Legal Education Project

We're hiring! Contract Lawyer/Prisoner Legal Education Project Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) is looking for a passionate, problem solving, empathetic and dedicated lawyer for a 10-month contract position. We are a small non-profit society providing legal...

We’re hiring! Legal Advocate

LEGAL ADVOCATEPrisoners’ Legal Services is looking for a passionate, problem solving, empathetic and dedicated advocate for prisoners’ rights, with a focus on women prisoners, youth and health care issues.We are a small non-profit society providing legal services to...

Solitary Confinement Public Panel Talk

Join us next Tuesday, February 6th for a free panel talk on the BC Supreme Court's decision to end indefinite solitary confinement. On January 17, 2018, the BCCLA won a constitutional challenge to indefinite solitary confinement in federal prisons across Canada, but...

Status of Women – Study on Indigenous Women Prisoners

Prisoners’ Legal Services executive director, Jennifer Metcalfe, appeared today before the House of Commons Standing Committee on the Status of Women as part of their current study on Indigenous women prisoners. Click here to read her speaking notes.

Ms. Metcalfe called on government to engage with First Nations and Indigenous organizations for self-determination in the administration of correctional services, and to ensure that they are well resourced to provide full wrap-around support for women who have experienced multi-generational trauma.

Prisoners’ Legal Services
302-7818 6th Street

Burnaby, BC

Tel: 604-636-0470
Fax: 604-636-0480

Email: info@pls-bc.ca

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How to Show Your Support

Help us to continue to fight for the human rights of prisoners in BC! PLS is currently litigating the important systemic issues of the segregation of prisoners with mental disabilities, access to health care, transgender prisoner rights, and access to religion and Indigenous spirituality. We need help to continue to do this important work. Donations to West Coast Prison Justice Society are non-charitable and are not tax deductible.

 

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Please call us at 604-636-0470 or email us at  info@pls-bc.ca if you would like to discuss your donation.

Thanks for your support!