| In 1777, John Howard, the
pre-eminent prison reformer of his generation, published The
State of the Prisons in England and Wales, an indictment of
the cruelty of prison life and a blueprint for radical change.
Over two centuries later, Michael Jackson, Queen's Counsel,
law professor and human rights advocate, gives us Justice
behind the Walls, a compelling, compassionate and at
times harrowing account of the state of justice in Canadian
prisons.
Weaving together the threads of correctional history, penal
philosophy, landmark court decisions, the Charter of Rights
and Freedoms and legislative change, Justice behind the Walls
describes the reality of reform against the backdrop of Jackson's
years of observing disciplinary hearings and segregation review
boards in federal penitentiaries and draws on hundreds of hours
of interviews with prisoners, wardens and correctional staff.
Conceived as both a personal and public journey in search of
justice, this book is an unprecedented endeavor to chart the
DNA of contemporary imprisonment.
At a time when the issue of human rights in prison, never
high on the horizon of public concern, is dangerously close
to being eclipsed by rising fear about public safety, Justice
behind the Walls takes us beyond the stereotypes of
the keeper and the kept. In doing so, it holds up a mirror
that reflects how far we have come in recognized and respecting
human rights in places where those rights are most vulnerable.
Jackson's book brings to the agenda of public and legal debate
a remedial toolbox that has the potential to enhance Canada's
claim as an international model for a just society. Written
in a language that appeals to our common humanity, it brings
many lifetimes of experience to the struggle for justice.
Justice behind the Walls
was shortlisted for the 2002 Donner Prize for the best book
on Canadian Public Policy. The Donner Prize Jury described
Justice behind the Walls as "passionate, detailed and
written by a highly knowledgeable and committed expert…both
mind-enriching and soul-expanding".
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