British Columbia prisoners request more jail time

Increasingly prisoners in British Columbia, mainly those homeless, are opting for more jail time in preference to a bleak situation outside.

B.C. prisoners seek extension of jail time to stay housed, avoid overdose | Vancouver Is Awesome | Mike Howell:

August 19, 2023 - "In the space of one week in June, Vancouver criminal defence lawyer Melanie Begalka heard something from three of her clients that bothered her enough to go public. In this case, 'public' was posting a comment on Twitter, the social media platform now known as X....

"In an interview this week, Begalka said two of her three clients — all men — are still in custody. After they were arrested, all three decided not to seek bail or plead guilty, knowing it will lengthen the time they have access to regular meals and a place to sleep. Begalka ... said the concern from the three men was that a request for bail or a guilty plea could lead to a sentence that would soon put them back on the street.

"'[They say], "Let's just push this off, because I'm still waiting to hear from housing providers, I'm still trying to get on to a wait list for treatment, and still trying to find somewhere to go after jail,”' she said. 'So jail is a better option. It’s really horrible, it's really sad'....

"Begalka said a person wanting to extend their time in custody was 'not unusual,' noting that while in law school she encountered inmates who told her they wanted a few days to sleep and eat before being released. The phenomenon, though, has become more acute, she said.

"'It's almost always people who are homeless, who are using drugs, who are tired,' Begalka said. 'It's exhausting to be homeless. It's really, really hard. They call it ‘three hots and a cot’ — that's what you get when you go to jail. You get three hot meals and a bed, and that’s more than some people get anywhere else'....

"A Metro Vancouver homeless count report in 2020 revealed that 107 people who agreed to be interviewed by volunteers said they didn’t have a home because they had previously been in jail or prison.

"A study published in 2016 in the Canadian Journal of Public Health examined the effect of incarceration on housing stability among homeless and vulnerably housed individuals in three Canadian cities. The authors’ conclusion: 'Homeless and vulnerably housed individuals reporting recent incarceration were less likely to be housed over a two-year follow-up period. These findings highlight the importance of assisting individuals experiencing incarceration with securing stable housing during discharge and post-release planning.'"

Read more: https://www.vancouverisawesome.com/local-news/bc-prisoners-seek-extension-of-time-in-jail-to-stay-housed-avoid-overdose-ravi-kahlon-7427689

Barrie halts bylaws that banned helping homeless

After protests, the Barrie, Ontario, city council has shelved two controversial bylaws that would have made giving food, clothing or other goods to the homeless illegal on city property. 

This Barrie grandmother is protesting a plan to ban giving food to homeless people on city property | CBC News | Clara Pasieka:

Jun 21, 2023 5:00 AM ADT - "Christine Nayler is staying in a tent outside Barrie City Hall, but it's not because she doesn't have a home. The Barrie grandmother and her peers are aiming to raise awareness about new bylaws expected to pass on Wednesday night that she says will make her work of serving her unhoused neighbours next to impossible. Nayler is the co-founder of Ryan's Hope, a non-profit corporation that serves those experiencing mental health, addiction and homelessness challenges.... The organization serves hundreds of meals each month to those experiencing homelessness. 

"Bylaw[s] 67 and 68, which Barrie City Council will vote on on Wednesday, make the distribution of food, literature, clothes, tents, tarps, or other items to protect people sleeping outside from the elements illegal on city property.... Nayler ... says organizations like hers are targeted by the proposed bylaws that could see those who distribute goods fined between $500 and $100,000 for carrying out their core missions — fines they could never afford....

"Other advocacy groups against the bylaws are planning other quiet protests at city hall during the Wednesday night meeting. Faith leaders have also written a letter to councillors indicating the ban would mean they cannot act on their faith.... 

"Several advocates told CBC Toronto they will attempt to overturn the bylaws through a Charter challenge if they pass on June 21. Lawyers from the Community Legal Clinic of York Region have written to Barrie's mayor and council urging the councillors to press pause."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/barrie-homelessness-ban-food-1.6881689

Protesters demonstrate proposed Barrie bylaw that would “criminalize kindness” | CityNews - June 21, 2023:

City of Barrie backs down on plan to ban giving food to homeless people on its property | CBC News | Muriel Draaisma:

Jun 21, 2023 8:27 PM ADT - "The city of Barrie, Ont., has backed away from proposed bylaws that would have made it illegal to distribute food, literature, clothes, tents and tarps to unhoused people on public property. At a meeting on Wednesday night, council decided unanimously to refer bylaws 67 and 68 back to staff.... 'There should be zero fear out there that a bylaw officer or a peace officer is going to come and ask you not to give water to someone who needs it,' Mayor Alex Nuttall told council chambers.

"The proposed bylaws have sparked controversy in Barrie for weeks. Several people in council chambers held up homemade placards on Wednesday to protest the proposed bylaws. 'We support the unhoused,' read one. 'Fight poverty, not the poor,' read another.

"Earlier, in a news release, Nuttall said the city no longer needed the proposed bylaws after a community not-for-profit organization, Busby Centre, decided to relocate its daily outreach program away from the Barrie waterfront.... According to the city, the intent of the bylaws was to stop organizations like the centre from handing out food and supplies along the Barrie waterfront and instead move their outreach to private property.... 

"On Tuesday, the Canadian Alliance to End Homelessness had set up an online tool that allowed people to send emails to Barrie councillors to protest the bylaws. Less than two hours before the meeting, more 23,000 emails had been sent, the group said."

Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/barrie-homelessness-bylaws-ban-meeting-1.6884615

Ontario LP asks town to stop mass eviction

This is shameful. There is snow on the ground in Ontario. Nightly temperatures are below zero. People can die outside in this weather. Yet Napanee town council wants to evict 20 formerly homeless people living in an unlicensed, unzoned trailer park - just in time for Christmas! Kudos to the Ontario Libertarian Party for speaking out. -George J. Dance

Advocate asks Napanee town council to allow homeless trailers, for now | The Kingston Whig-Standard - Meghan Balogh:

November 29, 2019 - "The leader of the Ontario Libertarian Party spoke to Greater Napanee town council on Tuesday on behalf of a man offering illegal housing for homeless people. Keith Komar ... spoke in support of what he and others are calling the Stepping Stone Homeless Shelter — a collection of trailers that Napanee resident Scott Drader has assembled to house homeless individuals on his property.... In a letter dated Nov. 15, 2019, the Town of Greater Napanee told Drader to stop using his property as a trailer park, and gave him a deadline of Nov. 25 to remove the trailers....

“'I’m here today to ask the council to provide a stay on the order of cease and desist until at least April 1, to allow Scott to work towards a more permanent solution to this very grave situation,' Komar said to council. Drader currently has five trailers housing 13 people without homes. Another seven are living in his house. The individuals pay him $390 per month to cover hydro and heating costs.

"Komar described a 'groundswell of support' behind Drader’s cause, including a petition with more than 1,500 signatures in his support.... Komar acknowledged that Drader is breaking a zoning bylaw by housing people in trailers on his property. Komar said he is going to be assisting Drader in applying for a minor variance to the zoning bylaw.

"He pointed out that what Drader is doing isn’t costing the Town of Greater Napanee or its taxpayers any money — Komar referenced crowdfunding and said he would also be helping Drader set up a non-profit organization. According to Komar, Drader’s end goal is a 'tiny home park,' either at his current location or in a new location.

"Komar told council that he knows Drader’s setup is 'not a perfect solution,' but that it’s better than nothing. 'I understand it’s not an ideal situation for these people, but for now in the interim, until we can work together to put something together that works better, it’s better than on the street,' Komar said. 'I want you guys to consider that'....

"Coun. Dave Pinnell Jr. asked that people stop referring to the property as a trailer park.... Coun. John McCormack ... pointed out that Drader was told at a council meeting in June 2018 that his property was nonconforming.... 'You here tonight, knowing him for five days, asking for us to make changes to the situation … who’s to say that next year we’re not five extra trailers, 10 more trailers?'...

"Council members [also] raised concerns about safety, including heat, water and sanitation. Komar said the trailers have had health inspections and have been examined by the fire inspector.... 'I would ask you to think on what is a greater health risk: being at the trailer park where Scott has a roof over their heads, or to sleep on the streets,' Komar said."

Read more: https://www.thewhig.com/news/local-news/advocate-asks-napanee-town-council-to-allow-homeless-trailers-for-now
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McDonald's: America's community centers

McDonald's: you can sneer, but it's the glue that holds communities together | Business | The Guardian - Chris Arnade:

June 8, 2016 - "On the morning of their wedding, Omar and Betty shared a breakfast of egg McMuffins at a small McDonald’s table, dressed in their finest clothes.... They don’t have a lot of money, and McDonald’s is part of their life. It is that way in many poor and middle-income neighborhoods, where McDonald’s have become de-facto community centers and reflections of the surrounding neighborhood.

"When many lower-income Americans are feeling isolated by the deadening uniformity of things, by the emptiness of many jobs, by the media, they still yearn for physical social networks. They are not doing this by going to government-run community service centers. They are not always doing this by utilizing the endless array of well-intentioned not-for-profit outreach programs. They are doing this on their own, organically across the country, in McDonald's.

"Walk into any McDonald’s in the morning and you will find a group of mostly retired people clustering in a corner, drinking coffee, eating and talking. They are drawn to the McDonald’s because it has inexpensive good coffee, clean bathrooms, space to sprawl. Unlike community centers, it is also free of bureaucracy....

"In Natchitoches [Louisiana], on Tuesdays, there is a bingo game. On weekends, a Bible group sets up in the opposite corner, and offers prayers and Bibles to whoever wants to come. In other McDonald’s, politics are central. In one near downtown Kansas City ... each Friday morning the sitting area is turned over to a community meeting.....

"It isn’t just groups who use McDonald’s. For many of the poorest, for the homeless, and for people caught in an addiction, McDonald’s are an integral part of their lives. They have cheap and filling food, they have free Wi-Fi, outlets to charge phones, and clean bathrooms. McDonald’s is also generally gracious about letting people sit quietly for long periods – longer than other fast-food places....

"In almost every franchise, there are tables with people ... escaping from the streets for a short bit. They prefer McDonald’s to shelters and to non-profits, because McDonald’s are safer, provide more freedom, and most importantly, the chance to be social, restoring a small amount of normalcy. In the Bronx, many of my friends who live on the streets are regulars.... Steve, who has been homeless for 20 years, uses the internet to check up on sports, find[s] discarded papers to do the crossword puzzle, and generally escape[s] for a while.... Beauty, who has been homeless for five years, uses the internet to check up on her family back in Oklahoma when she can find a computer to borrow.

"Most importantly though, McDonald’s provide many with the chance to make real and valuable connections. When faced with the greatest challenges, with a personal loss, wealthier Americans turn to expensive therapists, others without the resources or the availability, turn to each other."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/business/2016/jun/08/mcdonalds-community-centers-us-physical-social-networks
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