Stark Raven Radio: A Closer Look at Prisons & Criminalization

Mon Aug 2nd, 7-8 pm: GIRL TROUBLE, QUEERNESS IN PRISON, PRISON FARMS
*The film Girl Trouble documents the lives of teenage girls struggling to free themselves from San Francisco's complex juvenile justice system. We hear from the filmmakers. [tentative]
*The fight to save the prison farms is heating up. We hear an update. [tentative]
*Pride weekend is here. We hear from LGBTQ folks living behind bars about the issues they are facing.

Mon Aug 9th, 7-8 pm: PRISON JUSTICE DAY
A special program in honour of August 10th, a day to remember those who have died inside prisons in Canada and around the world.
*We hear from one lifer, who is now on the outside, about his experiences with PJD on the inside and on the outside, and how the prison system is making it harder to celebrate PJD on the inside
*Vancouver organizers talk about PJD, its history and organizing today.

Mon Aug 16th, 7-8 pm: PRISON JUSTICE DAY RALLY
Highlights from the speakers from the Prison Justice Day Memorial Rally in Vancouver.

Mondays, 7-8pm (First three of each month).
In Vancouver at 102.7FM, and around the world online: www.coopradio.org

Listen to Stark Raven's Podcast
Listen to recent interviews or any other interview in our show podcast archive, with links to our podcast on rabble.ca. We also podcast on radio4all.net.
Find out more about Stark Raven, including how to podcast and receive our email digest.

Prison Justice Day Events 2010

Many campus and community radio stations are featuring special programming for Prison Justice Day. (including CJSF-Burnaby, CFRC-Kingston, CKUT-Montreal and more)

VANCOUVER

Fri Aug 6th, 7pm "THE WORD IS OUT" BENEFIT
Performances (Elizabeth Fischer, Lora McElhinney, Velvis - Elvis Tribute Artist).
Documentary: Girl Trouble (the lives of teenage girls struggling to free themselves from San Francisco's complex juvenile justice system.)
Rhizome Cafe, 317 East Broadway, East Vancouver. Siding Scale $10 - $15

Tues Aug 10th, 6pm PJD MEMORIAL RALLY
Claire Culhane Memorial Bench in Trout Lake Park (southeast corner), East Vancouver.
Coast Salish Welcome: Cease Wyss. Speakers include ex-prisoners and anti-prison activists. All welcome.

Events organized by the Prison Justice Day Committee. Prison Justice Day is a day to remember all the men, women and youth who have died in prison. pjd(at)prisonjustice.ca

OTTAWA

Tues Aug 10th, noon PUBLIC FORUM
"A Time to Reflect Upon Deaths in Custody and Other Issues Inside Our Prisons"
Ottawa Public Library, Main Branch
Full details.

PJD T-shirts available
National Prison Justice 2010 Day T-Shirts are available to order in t-shirt or sleeveless. Created by P.J.D. Screenworks 2010 in Calgary, Alberta. More info

Prison Justice Day Pins
Support Prisoner Solidarity work
by purchasing a pin.
More info



Tracking the Politics of 'Crime' and Punishment in Canada
Check out Justin Piché's blog for critical commentary that aims to make sense of recent developments in the politics of 'crime' and punishment in the Canadian context. Includes a tracking of prison building in Canada and a call to sign onto the Campaign for a Canadian Punishment Legislation Moratorium.

Canadian crime and American punishment
Canada, Nov 27, 2009 (Globe and Mail)

Why We Should All Be Concerned About Bill C-43: Amending the Corrections and Conditional Release Act and Criminal Code
Canada, Nov 26, 2009 (Just Us Blog)

Solitary confinement 'not safe, nor is it humane'
Canada, Nov 19, 2009 (Globe and Mail)

Number of Aboriginal people in prison continues to increase
Canada, Nov 13, 2009 (canada.com)

Ombudsman slams prison mental health services
Canada, Nov 2, 2009 (cbc.ca)

Conservative agenda will 'stuff prisons,' advocates say
Canada, Oct 27, 2009 (Toronto Star)

Tory plans for U.S.-style prisons slammed in report
Canada, Sept 24, 2009 (cbc.ca)

More articles....

Literature you can download!
Find 10 leaflets that you can download on our virtual table, on topics ranging from FASD to Alternatives to incaceration to Transgender prisoners in Canada.

Updated Statistics Aug 2008
Most recent Statistics Canada information for year 2005-6.

Mon July 19th, 7-8 pm: PEACEBUILDING BEHIND BARS
A Vancouver lawyer is working on a Peacebuilding project behind bars, hoping for a better way than the often adversarial legal approach. Audio coming soon.

Mon July 12th: MAD PRIDE
*Find out more about this annual celebration and happenings in Vancouver. More info.
*From the psych ward to innovative mental health activism. Film Crooked Beauty follows one woman’s journey. Filmmaker Ken Rosenthal about his film and his work. Interview coming soon.

Mon July 5th: WITHOUT PRISONS
Twenty years after Australia opened its first private women's prison, activist and lawyer Amanda George argues all prisons should be abolished. Rachel Herzing from the US-based organisation Creative Interventions researches ways to stop violence without intervention from the state. Hear the documentary.

Mon June 21st: JUVENILES SENTENCED TO LIFE
A documentary on this issue in the US. Hear the documentary.

Mon June 14th: HEALTH INSIDE PRISON
A recent workshop brought prisoners together with health and prison officials to improve health on the inside. Audio Coming soon

Mon June 7th: ORGANIZING AGAINST PSYCHIATRY
A report back from the recent PsychOUT conference in Toronto. Interviews with antipsychiatry activist and feminist Dr. Bonnie Burstow as well as Geoffrey Reaume on Mad people's histories. Audio Coming soon

Mon May 17th: PRISON EXPANSION IN CANADA
Interview with Justin Piché, PhD Candidate at Carleton University, on the Campaign - Canadian Punishment Legislation Moratorium. Hear the interview.

Mon May 10th: FETAL ALCOHOL and the LAW
Interview with David Boulding. Audio Coming Soon.

Mon May 3rd: PSYCHIATRIC SURVIVOR MOVEMENT
West Coast Mental Health Network Society on mental health, patients rights and the psychiatric survivor movement.

Mon April 19th: PRISON WRITING/WRITING PRISON
Interview with Deena Rymhs, UBC professor, on prison literature. Audio Coming Soon.

Mon April 19th: HOW MUCH PROTECTION DOES CANADA'S CHILD WELFARE SYSTEM PROVIDE?
Street-youth turned documentarian Andree Cazabon speaks about her latest film series, Wards of the Crown, about youth in care. Hear the Interview.

Mon April 12th:CANADA'S ROLE IN TORTURING AFGHAN PRISONERS
B.C. lawyer Grace Pastine reports on the Military Police Complaints Commission hearings in Ottawa. Hear the Interview.

Mon April 5th: DECONSTRUCTING PSYCHIATRY
Filmmaker and activist explore psychiatry's impact on their lives. Cindy Lou Griffith and Irit Shimrat discuss the movement for self-determination amongst psychiatry patients. Hear the Interview.