Chris Lin Vincent Li Wilson Wu

1. Chris Lin Vincent Li Wilson Wu

2. Iranian Prisons • Compared to the Canadian Judicial and prison systems, Iran’s prison facilities seem quite harsh. For one, it seems they are not granted the same health care as they would be granted in a Canadian facility. Many people seem to be suffering from poor prison conditions and health care, which should both be maintained. To take a quote from Amnesty International, “Prisoner of conscience Nasser Zarafshan's health is deteriorating, as he is not being allowed the specialist medical care that he needs. He is in solitary confinement in Evin prison, and is not allowed out for exercise.” As you can see, not only is he being deprived of health care but, even things such as exercise. “According to one of his lawyers his family have submitted all the necessary documents for him to be granted access to further specialist treatment, but the authorities have taken no action.” • Restrictions have even been placed on visitations and they items they may bring in for him. This also goes against many of our Canadian prison standards. Another quote from Amnesty International states, “His wife is reportedly allowed to visit him once a week and his lawyers more often. The family’s visits are made difficult by the prison authorities: they have to apply for permission each time they want to visit him, and the bureaucratic process is long and cumbersome. They are not allowed to bring him clothes, food, or basic sanitary articles such as toothpaste and soap.” • Prison conditions are also substantially worse. In the Case of Manuchehr Mohammadi, taken from another Amnesty International article, “Manuchehr Mohammadi has suffered serious health problems in prison, some reportedly caused by torture and ill-treatment, and the conditions in which he has been held. He suffers from gingivitis, which causes chronic, severe bleeding from the gums, and causes him pain when he eats or speaks. In April 2005, a prison doctor reportedly told him that the gingivitis had advanced to the point that, in order to cure it, he would need to have all his teeth removed and dentures fitted.” Which, in the Canadian system, would violate the Eighth Amendment, granting “freedom from cruel and unusual punishment.” In the end he had to go on a hunger strike. Eventually he was granted access to medical treatment. • According to Amnesty International, he was not even granted a fair trial—which he should be entitled to according to law. According to the article, “He was accused of having a leading role in the July 1999 student-led protests, Manuchehr Mohammadi was charged with offences reportedly relating to national security, and following an unfair trial was sentenced to 13 years’ imprisonment, which was later reduced on appeal to seven years.” This is yet another aspect of the injustice in Iranian Judicial Systems.

3. Iranian Prisons • Iranian law also differs from Canadian law in the sense that, there is a fine line between freedom of speech and “attempts against national security. “Akbar Ganji was arrested in April 2000, together with 17 other Iranian journalists and intellectuals who had taken part in a cultural conference in Berlin. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, which was reduced on appeal to six months, for "taking part in an attempt against national security" and "propaganda against the Islamic system". “In 2000 he wrote a series of articles, which were later published as a book, in which he implicated several high-ranking officials in the 1998 murders of several prominent writers and political activists, in what became known as the "serial murders" case. Among those implicated by the articles was former President, Akbar Hashemi Rafsanjani.” • The organization is deeply concerned about the harassment and arrest of people associated to Akbar Ganji's case. Leading human rights defender and lawyer Abdolfattah Soltani who is a member of Akbar Ganji's legal team, and also of the family of Zahra Kazemi, was arrested on 30 July while holding a sit-in at the building of Tehran's Bar Association. Soltani was protesting a warrant for his arrest, along with a search warrant for his home both issued by the Chief Prosecutor for Tehran, Said Mortazavi, on 27 July. • The apparently unjustified interference in the work of lawyers seeking to represent their clients and uphold human rights standards must stop. Amnesty International calls on the Office of the Supreme Leader to intervene to stop the spiral of harassment and to direct the judiciary, government and parliament to implement the provisions of the UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders. • Akbar Ganji was arrested in April 2000 together with 17 other Iranian journalists and intellectuals. He was sentenced to 10 years' imprisonment, which was reduced on appeal to six months, for "taking part in an attempt against national security" and propaganda against the Islamic system". In July 2001 he was tried on charges of "collecting confidential state documents to jeopardize state security" and "spreading propaganda", and was sentenced to six years’ imprisonment. Akbar Ganji has already served five-and-a-half years of his six-year sentence. On 14 July, he was put under medical surveillance in the prison hospital, with the prison physicians reportedly examining him two to three times a day.

4. Iranian Prisons • . On 14 July, he was put under medical surveillance in the prison hospital, with the prison physicians reportedly examining him two to three times a day. Manuchehr Mohammadi is accused of having a leading role in the July 1999 student-led protests. He was shown on television "confessing" to involvement with "counter-revolutionary agents" and charged with offences relating to national security. Following a manifestly unfair trial was reportedly sentenced to 13 years' imprisonment, which was later reduced on appeal to seven years. At the end of November 2003, his seven year prison sentence was extended by two years: one year for having had interviews with foreign media while on leave from prison and another for issuing 'political statements' while in prison. • Infringing on the “presumption of innocence” imprisonment of American Iranians. “Recently, Iranian authorities have prevented a number of Iranian-American citizen academics, journalists, and others who traveled to Iran for personal reasons from leaving, and in some cases have detained and imprisoned them on various charges, including espionage and being threat to the regime. • “The Iranian regime continues to repress its minority ethnic and religious groups, including Azeris, Kurds, Bahai, ethnic Arabs, and others. Consequently, some areas within the country where these minorities reside, including the Baluchistan border area near Pakistan and Afghanistan, the Kurdish northwest of the country, and areas near the Iraqi border, remain unsafe.” Which is in a sense discrimination. • The U.S. State Department said in a travel-warning bulletin that dual national Iranian-American citizens may encounter difficulty in departing Iran. Which is contradictory of Canada’s freedom of mobility.

5. Iranian Prisons • The penal systems are essentially protecting protecting national security. • Eventually all of the prisoners received medical care • The offenders were granted temporary leaves/paroles for proper medical treatment. • The prisoners are monitored allowing for security as well as ensuring the safety of the prisoners.

6. Japanese Prisons • Japan’s prison system is decided and run by the Criminal Justice System run by the Government of Japan. When a criminal is sentenced, the person’s gender, nationality, and state of being (mental and physical), are accessed by government officials, who will decide where the convict will be placed. They also look at the severity of the crime and the time that the person must spend in prison. • Convicts often share cells together in a crowded environment, but depending on their behavior, prison guards may offer them more privileges than others as well as better cells/housing. • Juvenile are treated separately from adult offenders. Apart from their punishments being less harsh, young offenders are offered mandatory educational programs so that they may receive proper schooling and high school diplomas. • In terms of the probation of criminals, Japan has an interesting way to execute it. In America, a professionally trained officer is left in charge of monitoring over a hundred convicts, which leads to many parole violations. In Japan, they recruit volunteers to assist first time offenders on parole instead of assigning them to guards or police officers. • This is sometimes done with those who commit crimes again after their release, but voluntary parole officers are never assigned to dangerous convicts due to safety concerns. The time they spent on probation depends on their age; an adult will spend fixed periods of time while young offenders go on parole till the age of 20. A volunteer officer’s role is to bond the convict with possibly distanced family members and assist them in finding stable employment opportunities. The States has 35 000+ fully trained probation officers while Japan has around 1000 professionals along with 48 000+ volunteers. Each volunteer is assigned to a maximum of 5 parolees. •  Japan’s penal system believes that re-introducing the convict to society in a productive and positive way will decrease the recidivism rate. Despite this positive outlook, there had been human rights complaints filed in some prisons.

7. Californian Prisons

8. Mission Statement To establish a safe and just environment, to enforce sentences imposed by the Canadian judicial system, and to encourage offenders to participate in programs that will assist in successful reintegration into society.

9. What We’re Avoiding • Infringement of rights and freedoms in the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms • Violation of the law • Staff that undermine prison standards • Hazards that jeopardize safety

10. Our Prison Bramalea Penitentiary “A community within walls.” Minimum Security Prison Capacity will be 500 Prisoner to guard ratio – 2:1 Located in Brampton, Ontario Lots of available room to develop on Located near Brampton’s Ontario Court of Justice Located just outside of large urban centre

11. Maplehurst Correctional FacilityToronto, Ontario43 ha.

12. Mimico Correctional CentreToronto, Ontario13.7 ha.

13. Goals Our facilities will be meeting the fundamental goals of sentencing: • DENUNCIATION • DETERRENCE • SEPARATION • REHABILITATION

14. Programs Aboriginal Rehabilitation Mental Health Educational Opportunities Integration Into Corrections System

15. Programs Aboriginal Rehabilitation

16. Programs Aboriginal Rehabilitation

17. Programs Aboriginal Rehabilitation BRAMALEA PENITENTIARY -- IMPLICATIONS --

18. Programs Mental Health • Data from Correctional Services Canada found 1,000 out of 14,000 inmates in correctional institutions had some form of mental illness. (1998) • The number of inmates with a mental illness has increased over the years. By 2002, 1,500 out of 12,500 inmates had a mental illness. (2002) “Our prisons have become warehouses for the mentally ill due to funding cuts and closures in the community psychiatric facilities.” (Penny Marrett – Canadian Mental Health Association)

19. Programs Mental Health • Ombudsman report suggests the correctional system is ill-equipped to handle the needs of the mentally ill. • Report also noted the need to invest in treatment programs and to provide "supportive transitioning" back to communities. Proper treatment is needed to ensure mentally ill people don't re-offend.

20. Programs Mental Health • BRAMALEA PENITENTIARY • Correctional Services Canada set aside $29.5 million dollars aside for the creation of mental health programs. • Teaching parole officers better ways of dealing with offenders with mental illnesses. • Implementing more adequate facilities to address the needs of the mentally ill. • Implementing qualified clinical staff to adequately address and improve the mentally ill offenders. • IMPLICATIONS • REHABILITATION - Mentally ill individuals more likely to be sent back into society rehabilitated and less likely to re-offend.

21. Programs Education • 64% of offenders have not completed their high school diploma. • 70% tested below Grade 8 literacyequivalency. • 86% tested below Grade 10 literacyequivalency. • The lack of education INCREASES the recidivism rates

22. Programs Education • BRAMALEA PENITENTIARY • Elementary and secondary equivalency education will be provided free of expense. Incentives will be provided to encourage usage. • University and College will be provided at a cost. Incentives will be provided to encourage usage. • Vocational and group interaction courses will be provided and will be mandatory throughout their jail term. • IMPLICATIONS • REHABILITATION – Offenders will be sent back into society with a skilled trade, giving released offenders new opportunities in life. • DENUNCIATION – Through educations, they will develop a greater sense of morals of the world around them and hopefully recognize the wrongs that were in their actions.

23. Programs Integration Into Corrections System • 133 Canadians committed suicide in correctional facilities (1977-1988). • Suicides occurred relatively soon after sentencing. • One quarter committed suicide within ninety days after their sentencing. • One half committed suicide within one year after their sentencing.

24. Programs Integration Into Corrections System • BRAMALEA PENITENTIARY • Create a system that integrates new inmates into the corrections system. • Have a campaign that makes the availability of services offered by the prison widely known to inmates (e.g. medical, mental, cultural, educational programs that are available within prison). • Additionally, have a system in place that detect suicidal tendencies before the actual attempts of suicide. • IMPLICATIONS • The unnecessary loss of life is prevented.

25. Design Societal Safety Inmate Safety Overcrowding Communal Living

26. Design Societal Safety

27. Design Societal Safety • BRAMALEA PENITENTIARY • Construction of two fences surrounding the correctional facilities. • The space between these two fences willbe called No Man’s Land. • This area will be heavily monitored bymotion sensors and guards to ensureinmates do not break out of prison. • IMPLICATIONS • SEPARATION – These walls stop escapees and separate prisoners from society for obvious safety reasons.

28. Design Inmate Safety • In Kashechewan Ontario, 2 men perished in a jail during a fire due to poor jail conditions. • In South Africa, 98 offenders escaped prison during a serious fire threat. • There is a need to strike a balance between ensuring safety for inmates, as well as security for society.

29. Design Inmate Safety • BRAMALEA PENITENTIARY • The No Man’s Land can serve a dual purpose. In the event of emergency evacuations, that area can be opened for inmates. The fences are heavily monitored by guards. • IMPLICATIONS • SEPARATION – Prisoners are separatedfrom society, but with safety in mind.

30. Design Overcrowding 26.4% of inmates stated that they were currently sharing a cell with another inmate. 12% of inmates sharing a single cell felt threatened by their cell-mate. (1995)

31. Design Communal Environment • Community setting • Too much freedom?