The Daily GRRR! - March 20th, 2015 - Waves Through Walls: Prison Radio

Welcome, I am your host Dan Kellar and you are listening to The Daily GRRR! Waves Through Walls: Prison Radio, on 100.3fm, CKMS in Waterloo, Ontario. Soundfm.ca on the web, today is Friday March 20th, 2015.

We are broadcasting from the centre of the Haldimand Tract, the occupied Grand River Territory of the Haudenosaunee (Six Nations).

The Daily GRRR! is a project of the Grand River Media Collective; and is supported by the Community Radio Fund of Canada and CKMS.

The intro music for this episode was from the opening buildup from The Rebel Spell's tune The The Tsilhqot'in War

The audio clip that kicked off the show is from Mumia Abu-Jamal with his piece entitled Justifiable. Check prisonradio.org for more of Mumia’s podcasts.

Today’s feature is part of an interview from Stefan Christoff of CKUT's Free City Radio with Harsha Walia speaking primarily on resisting canadian border imperialism. The entire interview is available on soundcloud.

Now we will start with today’s headlines:

The Daily GRRR!
HEADLINES for March 20th, 2015 
1. Justice Minister Naqvi Targeted For Ontario's Migrant Detention Profiteering
2. The Federal Attorney General Says Canada Does Not Practice Solitary Confinement
3. Self-Harm Incidents Soaring in Federal Jails
4. Edmonton Jury Okays Murdering Indigenous Sex-Workers
5. More than 50% of Toronto Cops Making More Than 100,000$ a Year
6. G20's Top Cop Calls Black Blocers "Terrorists"
7. The Peel Police Admit to Lying About Courthouse Arrest of Lawyer
8. York Cop Charged With Extortion
9. Justice Minister Naqvi Targeted For Ontario's Migrant Detention Profiteering
10. Jane-Finch Social Justice Groups Demand an End to Racist Policing

1. Justice Minister Naqvi Targeted For Ontario's Migrant Detention Profiteering
The End Immigration Detention Network, No One Is Illegal Ottawa and the Parent-Child Coalition took their demands right to Ontario's "Justice" Minister Yasir Naqvi on March 16th after he failed to respond to a letter sent in November relating to the unjust detention of migrants in Ontario's jails.

The original letter demanded that Ontario cut all ties with the Canadian Border Services Agency and stop collaborating in the indefinite, cruel and unjust detention of migrants in Ontario’s maximum security prisons. The action's press release states "at any given time, between 520 and 700 people are in immigration detention in Canada. About 40 per cent of them are in Ontario provincial jails."

Minister Naqvi's ignoring of the letter, did not stop those fighting for migrant justice, whose March 19th press release notes that "In fiscal 2013-2014, the Feds paid Ontario more than $21 million for jail space for immigration detainees,' while keeping migrants in jail for twice the national average, with the Lindsay Ontario jail holding migrants for 4 times the average. Also showing a trend toward imprisonment profiteering of the Ontario government, the presser notes that "The release rate at the monthly detention review hearings... is 9%. Its 25.5% in the rest of the country."

As a reminder Immigration detention is imprisonment without trial or charges. Some of these detainees have been jailed for 8-10 years.

To keep the pressure up, the migrant justice organisations suggest:
signing the petition at 
>change.org and to write/call/tweet at minister Yasir Naqvi, to Demand that the he end the imprisonment of migrants in Ontario prisons without trial or charge.
Tweet: https://twitter.com/yasir_naqvi
Call: 416-325-0408, 416-325-7754, or 613-722-6414
Write: ynaqvi.mpp.co@liberal.ola.org

2. The Federal Attorney General Says Canada Does Not Practice Solitary Confinement
In a stunningly manipulative move, canada's attorney general responded to a lawsuit from the B.C. Civil Liberties Association and the John Howard Society, which targeted the widespread use of isolation in canadian jails by saying the "segregation" practiced in canadian jail "is different from and not analogous to the concept of solitary confinement referred to in many foreign jurisdictions and should not be confused with it," and that "Inmates in administrative segregation do not suffer from the alleged effects as a result of their placement."

The response from the government included the fact-hating statement that "Research on the possible effects or impacts of long term administrative segregation is inconclusive."

With the government rejecting many of the recommendations that stemmed from inquest into the 2009 death of 19 year-old Ashley Smith in Kitchener's Grand Valley Institute following extended isolation, BCCLA lawyer Carmen Cheung told the CBC that "Whether Canada chooses to define it as solitary confinement or describe it as solitary confinement, or they prefer to use their term segregation — the result is the same: It's 23 hours of isolation."

3. Self-Harm Incidents Soaring in Federal Jails

The CBC has released stunning figures through an Access to Information request showing that "the total number of female "participants" in self-harm incidents has soared from 61 in 2004-05 to 608 last year — an increase of 896 per cent. The increase is most pronounced in the Prairies, where the number of incidents climbed to 396 from just four between 2004-05." The Report adds "the number of male inmates harming themselves have also increased, from 366 in 2004-05 to 673 last year."

Expressing his disappointment with the refusal to implement the heavy majority of his recommendations stemming from the inquest into the 2009 suicide of 19 year-old Ashley Smith in Kitchener's Grand Valley Institute following incidents of self-harm and extended isolation, Howard Sapers, the Correctional Investigator of Canada told the CBC that "There's a lot of instability, a lot of crowding, a lot of competition for resources and for institutional employment and parole officers, for enrolment in correctional programs."

Saying using restraints and the reliance of solitary confinement exacerbates problems in overcrowded and underserviced jails, Kim Pate, executive director of the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies added, "It's hard to express in words how truly horrifying it is to literally watch women self-injuring, killing themselves, wasting away, dying psychologically and spiritually,"

4.Edmonton Jury Okays Murdering Indigenous Sex-Workers
In a verdict that has brought widespread shock and disgust on social media, an Edmonton jury found 46 year old Brad Barton not guilty in the death of 36 year old Indigenous womin Cindy Gladue, who died following massive blood loss from an 11cm wound inside her vagina.

Edmonton's acting chief medical examiner Graeme Dowling testified he believed Gladue’s wound was caused by a sharp cut rather than a blunt tear and that considerable force would be needed.

The death of Gladue, a sex-worker, was linked to "rough sex" during the trial. Indigenous activist âpihtawikosisân said on twitter "sex rough enough to cause someone's death goes far beyond any possible consent. So angry, what a sick verdict!", later writing "Are any mainstream feminist orgs talking about the Cindy Gladue verdict?"

In a popular post Hannah Barrington (@HanBarrington) added the easy steps to "Get away with murder: 1) Find FNMI woman 2) Ensure has "high-risk lifestyle" 3) Kill her 4) Call cops, claim found her that way #CindyGladue

Indigenous sex-work activist naomi (@kwetoday) noted "If you blame the sex trade for violence in a sex worker's life, YOU ARE THE PROBLEM! #MMIWG2S #sexwork"

5. More than 50% of Toronto Cops Making More Than 100,000$ a Year
In 2014, over 2,000 Toronto cops made more than 100,000$ with 10 of them making more than 200,000$ according to the annual "sunshine list'. The police associations president claims the obtuse payments are fermenting a "resentment" of police, he is likely correct.

The next bunch of stories again highlight the fact that it is the police system itself which is corrupt, and not just a few rotten apples.

6. G20's Top Cop Calls Black Blocers "Terrorists"
The man responsible for overseeing the illegal detention of thousands of people on the streets of toronto during the 2010 G20 protests claims that those using the "Black Bloc" tactic are terrorists.

Saying he was trying to capture the “marauding protesters,” and counter “widespread violence” Fenton said he had no choice but to kettle hundreds of people and imprison over 1100 at a poorly created temporary holding facility.

7. The Peel Police Admit to Lying About Courthouse Arrest of Lawyer
After the Peel Police arrested criminal lawyer Laura Liscio in the courthouse earlier this year, they denied that they took her into custody while she was in her court attire. They have now apologised for the lie and admitted that they arrested the lawyer in her court attire on charges of drug possession, trafficking, obstructing justice and breach of trust.

The cops argue that Liscio smuggled drugs into the courthouse when she handled clothing for one of her clients. A small amount of marijuana was eventually found in the pockets.

Daniel Brown, a Toronto director for the Criminal Lawyers’ Association, said “It’s the Criminal Lawyers’ (Association’s) belief that this was an attempt for the Peel police to embarrass (Liscio) and to demean her profession,” he said. “It was meant to send a message.”

8. York Cop Charged With Extortion
York police officer Gurdeep (Gurdip) Panaich, 39, was charged along with 4 other men in the alleged extortion of a real-estate agent.

Dale Mundi told the cops that people were spreading “false information that was detrimental to his personal and professional reputation” online and that they demanded money for it to be taken down.

The awards that Officer Panaich has won in his employment must not be used as a shield for his unethical behaviour.

9. Little Information of In-Death Custody of Tsuu T'ina Nation Man

Details into the death of a man who was in the custody of The Tsuu T'ina Nation Police have remained elusive, however, the Alberta Serious Incident Response Team has been called in to investigate.

While the man apparently died while in the care of medical professionals, the events leading up to his death have remained a mystery.

10. Jane-Finch Social Justice Groups Demand an End to Racist Policing

Jane Finch Action Against Poverty and allied organizations released a statement "demanding an end to police violence, intimidation and abuse against residents in the Jane-Finch community, especially African-Canadian young men and women and other racialized people.'

A demo called by the Jane-Finch Action Against Poverty, Network for the Elimination of
Police Violence and other grassroots organizations will take place on the International Day for the Elimination of Racial Discrimination at 31 Division at 30 Norfinch Drive in Toronto,
The demo will " an end to police violence, carding and racial profiling
in the Jane-Finch community"

Through the Community Assessment of Police Practice report "We also learned that there is widespread dissatisfaction with the way that police interact with members of the community. In general, the level of trust in the police is low and many participants expressed negative views
regarding the police. For example, a large number of respondents believe that police regularly abuse their power. In addition, there is a view that police racially profile members of the community. Compellingly, this belief was identified among both racialized and non-racialized groups."

The press release notes "Police violence against our community will stop when we organize and give concrete form to the declaration that “we are sick and tired of being sick and tired” of police
brutality and the violation of our rights and dignity!"

Thats all for the headlines, now for some
Midway Musichere is The Rebel Spell with the tune Please Resist

And we are back, you just heard The Rebel Spellwith Please Resist

You are listening to Waves Through Walls edition of The Daily GRRR! Today is March 20th, 2015, my name is Dan Kellar and we are now moving into the feature portion of our broadcast.

Today’s feature is part of an interview from Stefan Christoff of CKUT's Free City Radio with Harsha Walia speaking primarily on resisting canadian border imperialism. The entire interview is available on soundcloud.

This has been the The Daily GRRR! for March 20th, 2015. We are on weekdays from 9-10am on 100.3fm CKMS in Waterloo region, and http://soundfm.ca on the web. Check out all our past shows and other Grand River Media Collective work on our webpage http://grandrivermc.ca

The Daily GRRR! is supported by the Community Radio Fund of Canada and CKMS.

Stay tuned in for more Grand River Radical Radio after we close the podcast

Thanks for Listening.

END OF SHOW