Wednesday, February 21. 2024

Today's schedule is BADC

B Block Legal Studies - We'll be off to the Learning Commons/Library today and tomorrow to answer the question,  "Should Aboriginal Peoples have their own system of Justice?" Use the explanation, the decision in R. v. Glaude, the links, and video below to help you. Consider both sides of the issue (pros and cons) and consider this as well, "Should healing and Sentencing Circles be considered for non-Indigenous people as well?"

At a basic level of understanding, the concept of justice is understood differently by Indigenous peoples. For most Indigenous peoples, the traditional method of addressing wrongs committed against community members involved restoring or healing relationships rather than punishing the offender. The offender and victim(s) would discuss the harm caused by the offense. The offender would be expected to understand the consequences and take responsibility for the harm, and together, they would discuss appropriate ways to make amends. 

Justice is not seen as a separate domain from community life that needs to be overseen and administered by experts (such as police, lawyers, judges. etc.), rather it must be integrated into daily living. Most disputes should be resolved in the community, among the families of those affected, and guided by elders.

The roots of restorative justice models stem from traditional Indigenous methods of conflict resolution which rely on community involvement and the implementation of holistic solutions Restorative justice focuses on holding the offender accountable in a meaningful way, rather than simply imposing punishment. 

From Bringing Balance to the Scales of Justice

Websites to help your discussion:

Healing the Canadian justice system
Why does the Canadian justice system treat aboriginal people as if they’re all the same?
UBC Indigenous Foundations Aboriginal Rights
Overrepresentation of Indigenous Peoples in B.C. corrections system rising, says Statistics Canada report
Indigenous Justice Strategy Programs Province of BC

Bringing Balance to the Scales of Justice (look at page 42-47 in the pdf)

Aboriginal Concepts of Justice

Aboriginal Justice Systems

Aboriginal Restorative Justice Remedies

In  R. v. Gladue (1999), the Supreme Court of Canada's decision considered a sentencing principle outlined in paragraph 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code. In section 718.2(e) of the Criminal Code, Parliament requires judges to consider all available sentences other than imprisonment that are reasonable in the circumstances and consistent with the harm done, for all offenders, and says judges must pay particular attention to the circumstances of Aboriginal offenders.

If you identify as Indigenous and are charged with a crime, a judge must apply Gladue principles when you're in a criminal court. Gladue principles are a way for the judge to consider the unique circumstances (experiences) of Indigenous peoples. These unique circumstances include the challenges of colonization an Indigenous person, their family, and community faced and resisted as Indigenous people, and continue to affect them today. These challenges include racism, loss of language, removal from land, Indian residential schools, and foster care. These challenges are called Gladue factors.

From Aboriginal Legal Aid in BC 

If you identify as Aboriginal and you plead guilty to a crime, you might be able to have your bail or sentencing hearing in one of BC's First Nations/Indigenous Courts. You might be brought into a First Nations/Indigenous Court by referral from a judge, defense lawyer, or Crown lawyer. Or you can request to go to First Nations/Indigenous Court. It’s your choice to have your matter heard in First Nations/Indigenous Court. 

First Nations/Indigenous Courts are criminal sentencing courts that use restorative justice and traditional ways to reach balance and healing. BC's First Nations/Indigenous Courts are often called Gladue courts.

First Nations/Indigenous Courts focus on balancing rehabilitation, accountability, and healing. The judge, your lawyer, Crown counsel, Elders and your community, and your family work with you to create a healing plan to help restore your mental, physical, spiritual, and emotional health.

You might still be sentenced to jail. If you're sentenced to jail, the judge must still consider your unique circumstances in their decision.

So, Glaude services have been transferred to BC First Nations Justice Council which also provides  Indigenous Justice Centres in British Columbia

More tomorrow on UNDRIP (United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples)

FYI: If You are Interested...Young Women in Public Safety – Student Employment Opportunity

A Block Criminology - Today we'll talk about victims of crime. Every day we have specific routines we engage in. Many of these routines are tailored to preventing us from becoming victims of crime. We do things like lock our doors, watch where we walk at night, or avoid walking alone. We take these actions because at some level we are afraid of the possibility of being a victim of crime. Despite taking these actions people often fall prey to crime in Canada. So what do we know about victimization?

1. Women were at higher risk than men of being victims of a violent crime
2. Age was the key risk factor in violent victimization
3. Drug use, binge drinking and the frequency of evening activities were associated with the risk of violent victimization
4. Mental health was associated with the risk of violent victimization
5. People who suffered child maltreatment were more likely to be victims of a violent crime
6. People with a history of homelessness were more likely to report being a victim of a violent crime
7. The risk of violent victimization was higher among people residing in a neighbourhood with low social cohesion
8. Aboriginal people, in particular women, were more likely to be victims
9. One-quarter of violent incidents took place at the victim’s place of work
10. The majority of offenders were male and, on average, in their early thirties
11. Most victims knew their attacker
12. Most violent incidents did not involve weapons and did not result in physical injury
13. Low social cohesion was associated with a higher risk of household victimization
14. Households residing in apartments or condos were less likely to be victimized by household crime
15. The size of the household was linked to the risk of victimization
16. One incident in five resulted in losses of $1,000 or more
17. Most incidents of victimization did not come to the attention of the police

we will focus on the impact that crime has on victims. We'll try to examine the impacts of crime on victims (both short and long term)

I'll go over some notes with you on this and we'll try to understand how violence and violent crime (out next topic in the course) is a traumatic event that impacts human lives. 

FYI: If You are Interested...Young Women in Public Safety – Student Employment Opportunity

D Block Physical Geography - Today we will focus on sedimentary and metamorphic rocks. 

We'll collectively define compaction, cementation, recrystallization, clastic sedimentary rock, and non clastic/chemical sedimentary rock. 

We will define contact, regional, and dynamic metamorphosism (locating these areas on the map below) and you'll have one question in your Geosystems text to finish as well.

Check out the Dynamic Earth Interactive Rock Identification site here
Check out the Rock Cycle/Type animation from the BBC
Check out the Rock Cycle from the Geological Society here
Check out CK-12 Igneous Rock,  Sedimentary Rock or Metamorphic rock information.

C Block Human Geography - Today we'll try to answer the Key Question "Why Is Global Population Increasing"? Geographers most frequently measure population change in a country or the world as a whole through three measures -  crude birth rate, crude death rate, and natural increase rate and we'll look at those today along with measures of fertility and mortality along with population pyramids.

You'll have some questions to work on for me in order to understand our key concept:

1. About how many people are being added to the world’s population each year?
2. How does the TFR in your family compare to the overall figure for North America? 
3. Match the Country with the population pyramid and explain why (Canada, Chad & Germany)
4. Name a type of community that might have a lot more males than females. Why so?

We'll also play around a bit on Gapminder to visualize these statistics

Today's Fit...