The Supreme Court of Nova Scotia has delivered a ground-breaking ruling declaring routine institutional lockdowns in Canadian prisons, aimed at addressing staffing shortages, are unlawful.
Although laws surrounding lockdowns already exist, the decision emphasisses the human rights of imprisoned individuals and calls for urgent reform to address the negative impact of prolonged confinement on physical and mental well-being.
Change is needed to address the systemic issues contributing to these lockdowns and to seek alternatives to pre-trial detention.
UC Lecturer in Political Science and International Relations, Dr Lin Mussell, discusses this issue on The Conversation: Read the article.
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The authors do not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and have disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.