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(Un) mapping Prison Expansion in Canada: The Relationship Between Penal ‘ Reform ’ and Penal Infrastructure Initia

(Un) mapping Prison Expansion in Canada: The Relationship Between Penal ‘ Reform ’ and Penal Infrastructure Initiatives. Justin Piché Assistant Professor Department of Sociology Memorial University. www.tpcp-canada.blogspot.com. jpiche @mun.ca.

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(Un) mapping Prison Expansion in Canada: The Relationship Between Penal ‘ Reform ’ and Penal Infrastructure Initia

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  1. (Un)mapping Prison Expansion in Canada:The Relationship BetweenPenal ‘Reform’ and Penal Infrastructure Initiatives Justin Piché Assistant ProfessorDepartment of Sociology Memorial University www.tpcp-canada.blogspot.com jpiche@mun.ca

  2. FEDERAL PRISON CONSTRUCTION(SHORT-TERM)Additions = 34Net Capacity Gain = 2,552 bedsConstruction Costs = $601 million* Long-term Plan Still to be SubmittedPRIMARY DRIVERS ‘Truth in Sentencing’Mandatory Minimum SentencesRestrictions to Parole

  3. DATA COLLECTION PHASESOnline Content Search(February 2009)Informal Information Requests(February 2009)Formal Information Requests(March – December 2009)Informal Information Requests(February 2010 / May 2010 / February 2011 / September 2011) RESEARCH QUESTIONSWhat is the scope of provincial-territorial prison capacity expansion?What are the justifications marshalled in support of the establishment of new penal infrastructure?

  4. PROVINCIAL-TERRITORIAL PRISON CONSTRUCTIONNew Prisons = 22Additions = 17Net Capacity Gain = 6,320 bedsConstruction Costs = $3.4 billionPRIMARY DRIVERS Remand DemandA ‘Changing’ Prisoner PopulationAging and ‘Outmoded’ Institutions “Building remand centres is expensive and resourcing a bad trend [and] is paving a road we shouldn’t be on” Changing Face of Corrections Task Force Report, 2009, page 15.

  5. REMAND DEMAND(NOT A PROBLEM OF SUPPLY)Decrease in Bail / Increase in ConditionsIncreased Court Wait Times Little Appetite for Capping A ‘CHANGING’ PRISONER PROFILE(THE PRISON AS PANACEA) Identified Mental Health IssuesIdentified Substance Abuse IssuesMore Criminalized WomenMore Youth Identified as Gang Members AGING AND ‘OUTMODED’ INSTITUTIONS(IT’S THE BUILDING NOT THE IDEA) Risks to Institutional SecurityLimited Space for Programming Inefficient Operations

  6. MORE EFFECTIVE, LESS COSTLY, MORE HUMANE? JUSTICE REINVESTMENT AS ALTERNATIVE?STEP 1:ANALYSIS OF EXPENDITURES AND NEEDSSTEP 2:POLICY DEVELOPMENT AND IMPLEMENTATIONSTEP 3:ANALYSIS OF RESULTS visit justicereinvestment.org

  7. PITFALLSEntrenchment of PrisonsIntensification of Social ControlProliferation of ProfessionalsFormalization of the Informal“WIDER, STRONGER AND DIFFERENT NETS”“BUSINESS AS USUAL”(Cohen, 1985, pp. 38-39)

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