CPEP’s Blog

RE: Notice of trespass to participants in the encampment at St. George campusDear 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 […]

Justin Piché, PhDFull Professor, Criminology, University of OttawaMember, 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: […]

Justin Piché, PhDAssociate Professor, Criminology, University of OttawaMember, 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 […]

Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People Imprisoned in Ontario Provincial Jails:March 2020 to End-December 2021 (21.5 months) versus 2022End-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 = 6,510Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People Imprisoned in Ontario Provincial Jails in 2022 by MonthEnd-January 2022- Newly reported = 1,754- […]

Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People Imprisoned in Canadian Federal Penitentiaries:March 2020 to End-December 2021 (21.5 months) versus 2022End-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 = 7,497Reported COVID-19 Cases Among People Imprisoned in Canadian Federal Penitentiaries in 2022 by MonthEnd-January 2022- Newly […]

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 […]

* Updated 2 March 2022 at 11:20am ET *OVERALLPrisoners = 16,111 (11 deaths reported)Staff = 6,250 (1 death reported)Contractors = 6 Unknown = 61Total = 22,428Canadian Jurisdictions with Reported COVID-19 Cases Linked to their Jails, Prisons and Penitentiaries by the end of February 2022Federal | Correctional Service Canada = 5,189 (3,489 prisoners | 1,700 staff) Newfoundland and Labrador = 22 (22 prisoners | 0 staff)Prince Edward Island = 23 (8 prisoners | 15 staff)Nova Scotia = 147 […]

 * 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 = 51Staff =  15Unknown = 51Total = 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 […]

 * 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 = 229Staff =  49Total = 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 […]

 * 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 youthStaff = 451Contractors = 2Total = 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 […]