NEWS
Solitary-confinement veto a chance to address mental health: advocate
Canada’s solitary-confinement laws are unconstitutional, Ontario judge rules
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.
Inside/Out: A Prison Memoir at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival
Join us at the PuSh International Performing Arts Festival for Inside/Out, a memoir about life in the Canadian prison system. Inside/Out follows Patrick Keating's journey as a child growing up in Montreal, getting into drugs and crime, entering the juvenile detention...
Prison justice group hopes to tackle ‘gaps’ in provincial, federal prisons
CSC Policy: Consideration of Aboriginal Social History
Correctional Service Canada is currently updating policy regarding the consideration of Aboriginal Social History in the administration of Indigenous prisoners’ sentences. PLS supports these initiatives and provided feedback on making this policy even stronger. You can read our comments here.
Infamous ‘Balcony Rapist’ living in Surrey; residents upset neighbourhood wasn’t notified
Prisoners’ Legal Services recommends reforms to British Columbia correctional laws.
Prisoners' Legal Services recommends reforms to British Columbia correctional laws. Today, August 30, 2017, Prisoners' Legal Services wrote to Premier John Horgan, Attorney General David Eby and Public Safety Minister Mike Farnworth with a list of recommendations for...
Correctional Service Canada is failing to treat prisoners with drug addictions. Read our letter.
Correctional Service Canada is failing to treat prisoners with drug addictions. Read our letter. On July 17, 2017, Prisoners' Legal Services wrote to Correctional Service Canada on behalf of 33 prisoners struggling with addiction who are unable to get appropriate...
Transgender inmate in B.C. wins right to move to a federal prison for women
British Columbia is saving lives by giving drugs to opioid-addicted prisoners
Canada’s prison agency closes in on new solitary confinement rules
Supporting Prisoners’ Mental Health: Conference Agenda
Register at Eventbrite. The conference is approved for 7 mainpro+ credits for family physicians 2.75 hours of continuing professional development by the Law Society of BC. Full agenda is published here.
Registration open! Supporting Prisoners’ Mental Health
Conference Date: June 2, 2017 | Conference Location: Vancouver Convention Centre. Supporting Prisoners' Mental Health: Best practices and alternatives to solitary confinement Register now! This day-long collaborative conference will provide a forum for medical...
Supporting Prisoner’s Mental Health: A False Choice between Treatment and Security
BC Counsellors – April 21, 2017 JT suffers from frontal lobe deficits, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder and complex post-traumatic stress disorder. He entered the federal prison system in 1995, where he was held in solitary confinement for extended periods of time. He began to self-harm in the form of head-banging as a coping mechanism.
The Correctional Service of Canada put JT under a Behaviour Management Protocol that required him to be locked in his cell if he engaged in head-banging, and to remain there for 24 hours without banging his head. If he did not stop banging his head, he would be given an order to stop and then force, including chemical agents, would be used against him. He was held in solitary confinement for hundreds of days…
Read the whole story at bc-counsellors.org. Also check out the conference we are hosting on June 2, 2017 on mental healthcare in prisons.
Transgender inmate hopes to make history with transfer to women’s prison
How Adam Capay’s ordeal might set him free
Health Ministry to take over care of B.C. inmates
WCPJS Draft proposed transgender policy
How one trans woman prompted Canadian jails to stop sorting inmates by their genitalia.
Trudeau promises to house trans inmates based on gender identity
B.C. Corrections to review solitary confinement program after court ruling
Canada’s federal jails may stop sorting trans inmates by their genitalia
Gender identity vs. genitalia: Prison policy changes on the way for trans inmates
B.C. groups pushing for end to solitary confinement
Laying the groundwork to abolish segregation in Canada and BC
The current use of segregation and separate confinement in Canadian and BC prisons amounts to torture or cruel treatment. Today we released a new report which provides a comprehensive framework of why and how it should end. Solitary: A Case for Abolition is a detailed...
B.C. nonprofit outlines the case for abolishing solitary confinement in Canadian prisons
B.C. advocacy group calls for end to solitary confinement in Canada
B.C. prisoner spent nearly two years in solitary because of ‘significant danger’
My issue has been addiction’: B.C. inmate wants rehab but says he can’t get it
Medical complaint challenges British Columbia prison’s use of segregation
Transgender Prisoners
CSC has adopted new policies to protect transgender prisoner rights long recommended by the West Coast Prison Justice Society, including placement by gender identity.
Prisoners reach settlement on access to drug treatment in provincial jails
A group of prisoners who filed a Charter challenge last month in BC Supreme Court reached an agreement with BC Corrections today that will save them the effort and the enormous expense of having their case go to court. Their challenge was against a provincial prison...
SCC Decides Pre-Trial Credit Case – provision is overbroad and unconstitutional
On April 15, 2016, the Supreme Court of Canada decided that a provision limiting the discretion of a judge to give enhanced pre-trial credit was overbroad and unconstitutional. The West Coast Prison Justice Society/Prisoners’ Legal Services was represented at the...
WCPJS files human rights complaint on behalf of transgender prisoners
The West Coast Prison Justice society has filed a human rights complaint against the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) on behalf of transgender prisoners. CSC's policies require prisoners to be placed in male or female prisons according to their genitals, rather...
WCPJS trans prisoner policy reform, SOGIC meeting.pdf
B.C. updates placement policy for transgender inmates
Prisoners’ Legal Services Applauds BC Corrections’ New Trans Policy
Prisoners’ Legal Services applauds BC Corrections decision to amend its policy on transgender prisoners to comply with human rights law. The new policy is similar to the policy implemented by the Ontario Correctional service, which requires: placement according to...
Open letter to Public Safety Minister, the Hon. Mr. Ralph Goodale
Open letter to Public Safety Minister, the Hon. Mr. Ralph Goodale Prisoners’ Legal Services congratulates Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his team on their election win. We look forward to working with the Minister of Public Safety, the Hon. Mr. Ralph Goodale, to...
WCPJS at the Supreme Court of Canada!
The West Coast Prison Justice Society/Prisoners' Legal Services thanks lawyers Greg Allen and Ken Leung for generously and skillfully representing us as intervenors at the Supreme Court of Canada in R v Safarzadeh-Markhali. This case challenges a provision of the...
In a BC first, transgender prisoner moved from male to female prison
Prisoners’ Legal Services Calls on Health Care Professionals to Stand Up Against Solitary Confinement in Canada
Prisoners' Legal Services Calls on Health Care Professionals to Stand Up Against Solitary Confinement in Canada Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS) is rallying federal and BC health services bodies to develop policy to stop the abuse of solitary confinement in Canadian...
No solitary confinement of mentally ill: lawyer
CSC fails to bring transgender policy in line with international standards
May 21, 2015 The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has ignored the most significant recommendations for respecting the rights of transgender prisoners made by Prisoners’ Legal Services (PLS). Over a year after PLS provided CSC with policy recommendations regarding...
Prisoner sues B.C. after being segregated as punishment for self-harm
Inmates, society launch lawsuit over B.C. jail disciplinary system
Prisoners’ Rights Group Takes BC to Court Over Unfair Prisoner Disciplinary System
News Release May 12, 2015 Today, the West Coast Prison Justice Society (WCPJS) filed a lawsuit against the BC government challenging the fairness of the BC Corrections’ prisoner disciplinary system. In BC, prison staff adjudicate disciplinary hearings against...
Federal prisons criticized for ignoring recommendations to prevent inmate deaths
Prison food after cutbacks called disgusting and inadequate by B.C. inmates
B.C. prisons lock mentally-ill offenders in isolation
Canada proposes increasing prison disciplinary fines
Canada proposes increasing prison disciplinary fines Federal prisoners earn very little in wages or welfare while in prison. Working prisoners are required to pay for room, board and the telephone system as well as fees for the Inmate Welfare Fund, over the counter...
Statistics reveal Canadian prisons becoming more violent places
BC Court of Appeal affirms Human Rights Tribunal’s role in advancing public interest
Prisoners’ Legal Services filed a complaint with the BC Human Rights Tribunal on behalf of Mr. Charles Mzite, a prisoner with HIV. While being held in provincial custody, Mr. Mzite experienced regular interruptions of his HIV medication. The Tribunal accepted his...
Proposed reguations will limit prisoner visits and increase searches
Proposed regulations will limit prisoner visits and increase searches The West Coast Prison Justice Society has endorsed submissions made by the Canadian Prison Law Association that are critical of proposed regulations that would limit the right of prisoners to have...
Disciplinary stats show B.C. inmates’ rights violated, advocate finds
B.C. legal clinic wants rules changed for transgender prisoners
Transgender Prisoners: Recommendations to CSC
Transgender Prisoners: Recommendations to CSC On March 19, 2014, Prisoners’ Legal Services made a number of recommendations to the Correctional Service of Canada for improving the rights of transgender prisoners. Read our recommendations here. Prisoners’ Legal...
Harper Government Shutters Most Widely Respected and Effective Program for Sexual Offenders
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE By Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) Correctional Services of Canada (CSC) recently informed all 18 Circles of Support and Accountability (CoSA) projects in Canada that their contracts will be terminated at the end of March 2014. The...
PLS on BC Corrections: Programs and Release Planning
PLS on BC Corrections: Programs and Release Planning On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Prisoners’ Legal Services participated in a roundtable discussion regarding the safety of staff, prisoners and the community in BC, hosted by MLA Thrones, the Parliamentary Secretary...
January 2014 Roundtable Meeting with BC Corrections
January 2014 Roundtable Meeting with BC Corrections On Thursday, January 16, 2014, Prisoners’ Legal Services participated in a roundtable discussion regarding the safety of staff, prisoners and the community in BC, hosted by MLA Thrones, the...
CSC Bulletin requiring accommodation of disabilities for correctional programs
Victory for the human rights of disabled prisoners!
Prisoners’ Legal Services won a Federal Court decision ordering the Canadian Human Rights Commission to reinvestigate a complaint from Christopher Brazeau, a prisoner with ADHD. The CHRC... initially dismissed Mr. Brazeau’s human rights issue, but the Federal Court...
Indiegogo Fundraising Campaign for Prisoners’ Human Rights Project
Fundraising Campaign The West Coast Prison Justice Society has just launched a fundraising campaign on Indiegogo for our human rights project. Help us to continue to fight for the human rights of prisoners in BC! PLS is currently litigating the important systemic...
Prisoners’ Legal Services
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