Red Coalition calling for investigation into systemic racism in Quebec jails
By Tina Tenneriello, Posted Jan 18, 2023, 12:00PM EST.
The Red Coalition is calling on Quebec’s Ombudsman of Correction Services to launch a special investigation into the extent of systemic racism in the province’s correctional facilities.
The request comes a day after Quebec’s Chief Coroner ordered a public inquiry be held into the death of Nicous D’Andre Spring, a 21-year-old Black inmate who died after sustaining injuries at Bordeaux Prison in Montreal. He was reportedly pepper sprayed by guards while wearing a spit hood.
Quebec’s Public Security Ministry confirmed Spring, who was illegally detained at the jail, died the day after the physical intervention at Bordeaux on Dec. 24. He should have been set free the previous day.
In a letter to the Public Protector, sent by email to CityNews, the Red Coalition, who is representing his family, said while they welcome the Chief Coroner’s decision, it must go further.
The anti-racism group says they believe “the death of Nicous D’Andre Spring in Bordeaux is not the only death that has occurred in similar circumstances.” Adding “this is only the tip of the iceberg which signals to us that perhaps the use of excessive and abusive force is informally a tolerable norm by correctional officers in the institutional setting of the prison.”
The letter includes data made public in November 2022 by the Correctional Investigator of Canada which revealed that “systemic concerns and barriers, including endemic racial discrimination, stereotyping and bias, are more pervasive and persistent in federal prisons than ever before. Black prisoners make up 9.2% of the total prison population, although they make up only about 3.5% of the entire Canadian population. More than a third of them are young black men between the ages of 18 and 30.”
“The federal survey also found that Black inmates were more likely to be overrepresented in maximum security institutions, involved in use of force incidents, involuntarily transferred, held in solitary confinement, charged in an institution, and assessed as high risk.”
The Red Coalition is calling for similar data to be collected in provincial correctional facilities in order to prevent a similar incident from happening again as well as for the improvement of correctional services.
The letter also states the Red Coalition would like video footage of the intervention involving Nicous D’Andre Spring at Bordeaux made public, if available, an independent autopsy and the creation of a citizen oversight board for Quebec correctional services as they exist in the United States.
The Red Coalition is calling on Quebec’s Ombudsman of Correction Services to launch a special investigation into the extent of systemic racism in the province’s correctional facilities.
The request comes a day after Quebec’s Chief Coroner ordered a public inquiry be held into the death of Nicous D’Andre Spring, a 21-year-old Black inmate who died after sustaining injuries at Bordeaux Prison in Montreal. He was reportedly pepper sprayed by guards while wearing a spit hood.
Quebec’s Public Security Ministry confirmed Spring, who was illegally detained at the jail, died the day after the physical intervention at Bordeaux on Dec. 24. He should have been set free the previous day.
In a letter to the Public Protector, sent by email to CityNews, the Red Coalition, who is representing his family, said while they welcome the Chief Coroner’s decision, it must go further.
The anti-racism group says they believe “the death of Nicous D’Andre Spring in Bordeaux is not the only death that has occurred in similar circumstances.” Adding “this is only the tip of the iceberg which signals to us that perhaps the use of excessive and abusive force is informally a tolerable norm by correctional officers in the institutional setting of the prison.”
The letter includes data made public in November 2022 by the Correctional Investigator of Canada which revealed that “systemic concerns and barriers, including endemic racial discrimination, stereotyping and bias, are more pervasive and persistent in federal prisons than ever before. Black prisoners make up 9.2% of the total prison population, although they make up only about 3.5% of the entire Canadian population. More than a third of them are young black men between the ages of 18 and 30.”
“The federal survey also found that Black inmates were more likely to be overrepresented in maximum security institutions, involved in use of force incidents, involuntarily transferred, held in solitary confinement, charged in an institution, and assessed as high risk.”
The Red Coalition is calling for similar data to be collected in provincial correctional facilities in order to prevent a similar incident from happening again as well as for the improvement of correctional services.
The letter also states the Red Coalition would like video footage of the intervention involving Nicous D’Andre Spring at Bordeaux made public, if available, an independent autopsy and the creation of a citizen oversight board for Quebec correctional services as they exist in the United States.
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Archive
2023
January
Family of Montreal man killed while unlawfully jailed wants systemic racism inquiryLa famille de l’homme demande une enquête sur le racisme systémiqueSystemic racism inquiry called for by family of man who died after being pepper-sprayed at Bordeaux prisonDétenu mort à la prison de Bordeaux: une coalition exige plus de transparence sur le milieu carcéralUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE RÉCLAME UNE ENQUÊTE PUBLIQUE SUR LA MORT DU DÉTENU DE BORDEAUXRights group seeks public inquiry into death of man in Montreal jailLobby group seeks public inquiry in Montreal man's jail deathAnti-racism group calls for release of video in connection with Montreal jail deathCivil rights group calls for inquiry into death of illegally jailed 21-year-old black manUne coalition réclame la publication de la vidéo de l’interventionLobby group seeks public inquiry, release of video in Montreal man’s jail deathAnti-racism group claims Quebec told Longueuil police to ignore court order on racial profilingAllison Hanes: Montreal prison death demands urgent answersRed Coalition: Quebec ministry told Longueuil police force to defy court order on racial profilingQuebec told Longueuil police to disregard court order on racial profiling, says anti-racism groupCivil rights group accuses Quebec of covering up race-based police dataQue s’est-il passé à Bordeaux ?Public inquiry ordered into jail death of illegally detained Montreal manPublic inquest to be held into death of man in Montreal jailChief coroner orders public inquiry into death of 21-year-old illegally detained at Bordeaux jailCoroner orders public inquiry into Montreal man's jail deathIl y aura une enquête publique du coroner sur la mort de Nicous SpringRed Coalition calling for investigation into systemic racism in Quebec jailsChief Coroner orders public inquiry into death of Nicous SpringPolice union head tells Montreal's new chief: staffing shortages 1st, community policing 2ndPROFILAGE RACIAL: UNE PLAINTE OFFICIELLE DÉPOSÉE CONTRE LA VILLE DE LONGUEUILCoalition alleges contempt of court against LongueuilPROFILAGE RACIAL: «LA CAQ DOIT TENIR SES PROMESSES», ESTIME LA COALITION ROUGEGroups to kick off Black History Month with measures to fight racism
February
Anti-racism group accuses Montreal-area school of systemic racismCalls grow to change streets named after Christopher Columbus on island of MontrealQuebec sisters afraid to go school, say racism complaints ignoredGroup says private school near Montreal ignored racism complaintsCas de racisme et de cyberintimidation au Collège Bourget de RigaudUn citoyen souhaite «annuler» Christophe Colomb à Pointe-ClaireRACISME ET CYBERINTIMIDATION: LE COLLÈGE BOURGET MIS EN DEMEUREBlack anti-racism groups lob volleys at Canada and QuebecProminent Quebeckers voice support for Trudeau’s anti-Islamophobia representativeProminent Québecers plead for federal anti-Islamophobia rep to be given a chancePetition against Bill 21 tabled at National AssemblyMontreal police brotherhood says it's too easy to blame its members for racial profilingLongueuil, other Quebec police slow in implementing race-based data frameworkAucune accusation ne sera portée contre les policiers qui ont tué Junior OlivierCalls for police accountability as officers who fatally shot Jean René Olivier face no chargesLack of care on Loyola property "unacceptable":DeBellefeuilleGroups call to cancel puppet show featuring minstrel characterUn spectacle pour enfants sème la controverse dans l’ouest de MontréalUn exemple de « racisme systémique », dénoncent des associationsLocal Montreal play carries on despite upset over controversial puppetFamily of man killed by Repentigny police says lawsuit incomingLa mère de Jean-René Junior Olivier poursuit la Ville de RepentignyLa mère de Jean-René Junior Olivier, abattu par des policiers de Repentigny en août 2021, a déposé une poursuite contre la Ville de RepentignyFamily of Black man killed by Repentigny police files to sue city for $430K in damages
March
Red Coalition alleges SPVM withholding findings on racial profilingAnti-racism group says Montreal police withheld findings of racial profiling reportUN GROUPE ANTIRACISTE AFFIRME QUE LE SPVM A RETENU LES CONCLUSIONS D'UN RAPPORT SUR LE PROFILAGE RACIALThis boarded-up building lays bare Montreal's crumbling social housing systemCity of Longueuil facing contempt charges related to police racial profilingLE PROFILAGE RACIAL EXERCÉ PAR LA POLICE DANS LA MIRE DU MINISTRE BONNARDELQuebec Bill on police practices facing criticismEthics complaint filed against Montreal executive committee chairperson"Smokescreen; a dog and pony show"City of Longueuil, Que. gets postponement of contempt of court charges
May
Pearson Board denies allegations of systemic racism, assaultAllegations of discrimination and racism at Montreal-area elementary schoolPlea to integrate permanent residents into Quebec police forcesPlaidoyer pour intégrer des résidents permanents au sein des corps policiers québécoisPolicier au Québec: un métier encore fermé aux résidents permanents
July
Red Coalition to SPVM: amend random stops policyLa Coalition rouge presse le SPVM de «réviser» sa Politique d’interpellationRed Coalition demanding Montreal police review street checks policyUn groupe de pression veut recenser l’ethnicité des personnes interpelléesAnti-racism group wants Montreal police to review street check policy'Unusual time to be driving': Anti-racism group calls on Montreal police to modify street checksKirkland resident says he was pulled over in NDG for being BlackLaval police handcuff, illegally search Black military man’s home after street check: Red CoalitionLaval man accuses police of racial profiling, intends to file human rights complaintMilitary aerospace engineer says he was racially profiled by Laval policeCanadian Forces’ member out for run ‘mocked,’ alleges racial profiling by policeMan alleges random police stop in South Shore led to illegal search, fine for contraband cigarettesMontreal man to file human rights complaint over traffic stop by Roussillon police‘Gross incompetence:’ Man ticketed for contraband cigarettes says he was racially profiled
2022
January
February
April
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