Council for Social Service - Penal Reform
https://archives.anglican.ca/link/official5904
- Date
- 1934 September
- Source
- General Synod. Minutes
- Type
- Resolution
- Mover
- Archbishop of Ottawa
- Seconder
- Magistrate Jones
- Prologue
- In 1933 various articles appeared in the daily papers asking for an investigation of conditions in the penitentiaries and citing various abuses. The matter was taken up by the late General Secretary, who carried on correspondence with the various chaplains, with the Prisoners' Aid and Welfare Association in Montreal and interviewed personally several discharged prisoners in an endeavour to get some information on the subject. The late Canon Vernon headed a delegation from the Social Service Council of Canada to wait on the Premier and the Minister of Justice with recommendations on penal reform. He obtained permission from the Minister of Justice to visit the various penitentiaries in the autumn of 1933. At the last annual meeting of the Council for Social Service the following resolutions were passed:
- 1. There ought to be a thorough investigation and study by an independent and representative commission of all our penal and reformatory institutions, whether dominion, provincial or local, and of the entire system of dealing with delinquents and criminals.
- 2. Careful consideration should be given to the findings of the Royal Commission of 1914, and of the committee of 1921.
- 3. That the English Adult Probation System, and the so-called Borstal System, should be carefully considered with a view to their adoption in Canada.
- 4. And that copies of the foregoing recommendations be sent to the Premier of the Dominion, and the Minister of Justice, to the Premier and attorney-generals of the various provinces, to the Social Service Council of Canada, and to the Canadian Prisoners' Welfare Association.
- We understand that conditions have improved very much in the last year, and various reforms have been instituted. The restrictions that formerly hampered the chaplains in the discharge of their duties have been lessened, and it is felt that in future a greater effort will be made to help the men to get such training and education, both mental and spiritual, while they are in the penitentiary, that will enable them to re-establish themselves when they are released.
- Text of motion
- That in the tenth and following lines all the words following "1933" down to and including "Welfare Association" be not printed in the published Report. CARRIED in both Houses.
- Subjects
- Prisons - Canada
- Prisons - Religious aspects - Anglican Church of Canada
- Church work with prisoners - Anglican Church of Canada
- Chaplains, Prison - Anglican Church of Canada
- Criminal justice, Administration of - Canada
- Juvenile justice, Administration of - Canada
- Juvenile detention homes - Canada