Reports on Canada’s Structured Intervention Units

May 10, 2021 by Cate MacLeod

Update, May 10th:

A new report by Dr. Jane Sprott (CrimSL PhD 1999; professor, Department of Criminology at Ryerson University), Professor Emeritus Anthony Doob, and Adelina Iftene (Assistant Professor, Schulich School of Law, Dalhousie University, is now available:

PDF iconDo Independent External Decision Makers Ensure that “An Inmate’s Confinement in a Structured Intervention Unit Is to End as Soon as Possible”?

Original text, published February 24, 2021:

CrimSL alumna Dr. Jane Sprott (CrimSL PhD 1999; professor, Department of Criminology at Ryerson University) and Professor Emeritus Anthony Doob have released a new report on Solitary Confinement, Torture, and Canada’s Structured Intervention Units.

This is the third report Sprott and Doob have released.

In the latest report, they write:

“Our current report is not designed to be a comprehensive examination of all aspects of the SIUs. Rather, we wanted to focus on the few most pressing concerns and to provide a timely release of information. For this report, then, we chose to address three separate issues.”

These issues are:

  1. Were there notable changes over time?
  2. Regional variation in the operation of the SIUs
  3. Solitary Confinement and Torture

The report received initial coverage in the Globe and Mail. Journalist Patrick White quotes Professor Doob:

“I don’t think you can argue that they had growing pains with SIUs and now they’ve got it under control. What worries me is the opposite: that what they’re doing now becomes the way they continue to do it.”

More news coverage of this report can be found in our In the Press section

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