Issue 40.4
Nancy Wright Editor
Editorial by Irving Kulik, CCJA Executive Director
The Criminalization of Youth in Canada: A Call to Raise the Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility
By Brenda Kobayashi (PhD)
In this article, Brenda Kobayashi critiques Canada’s Minimum Age of Criminal Responsibility (MACR), set at 12—below international standards, inconsistent with developmental research, and at odds with other legal thresholds such as driving, drinking, or living independently. The United Nations Committee on the Rights of the Child urges states not to set the age under 14, while some countries have adopted 15. Kobayashi argues that keeping Canada’s MACR at 12 has serious consequences: in 2022/23, Indigenous youth accounted for nearly half of youth custody admissions but only 8% of the youth population. The Truth and Reconciliation Commission called for this overrepresentation to end, yet it has worsened. Punitive approaches persist, reinforced by “tough on crime” rhetoric and policy. Brenda Kobayashi argues that Canada must act decisively by raising the MACR to 15.
Winnipeg’s Community Safety Team: Compassionate Service Improving Public Safety
By Robert (Bob) Chrismas
Winnipeg’s Community Safety Team (CST) has significantly improved public safety and support for vulnerable populations since its formation in early 2024. Employing a compassionate, trauma-informed approach, fostering diverse partnerships, and prioritizing equity and cultural competency, the CST has enhanced community trust and reduced strain on emergency services. Their work within Winnipeg Transit has become a model for integrated public safety with ongoing initiatives that aim to expand their successful practices to other city spaces, ensuring holistic, inclusive support for all citizens.
Evidence Without Exposure: Making the Case for Anonymized, Cross-Sectoral Justice Data in Canada
By Émilie Christopher
Canada’s federal justice system faces a critical evidence gap: data remain fragmented across provinces, correctional institutions, and social sectors, undermining efforts to evaluate what works. In this article, Émilie Christopher (MA, Nova Scotia) argues that de-identified (anonymous) databases—linking justice, health, education, and socio-economic data systems—offer a powerful solution. These databases protect privacy while enabling rigorous, long-term analysis. Existing tools such as the Integrated Correctional Services Survey (ICSS), the Justice Data Modernization Initiative (JDMI), and the Criminal Justice Relational Database (CJRD) have laid the essential groundwork, yet many justice-relevant databanks (i.e., collections of linked datasets) remain unlinked. Without integration, opportunities for early intervention, equitable evaluation, and more effective correctional programming are lost. Christopher argues that anonymized datasets can bridge this divide, providing the evidence infrastructure needed to build a more transparent, accountable, and effective justice system in Canada.
Accused Persons Require Support, not Control: Why the “Jail not Bail” Sentiment Lacks Empirical Support
By Alyssa Leblond (Phd)
Miscarriage of Justice Canada (MJC) addresses systemic failures leading to wrongful convictions in non-homicide cases. Co-founded by Dr. Myles Frederick McLellan and criminal justice expert Dr. Gary Botting, MJC emerged as a result of the enactment of Bill C-40 (David and Joyce Milgaard’s Law), which replaced the flawed ministerial review process with the independent Miscarriage of Justice Review Commission (MJRC). As of September 2025, MJC will assist individuals with credible claims of wrongful conviction, including many from marginalized, racialized or vulnerable communities. It also handles select homicide cases involving criminalized survivors of violent domestic abuse and coercive control convictions. Through partnerships, research, and public education, MJC aims to improve access to justice, restore public confidence, and ensure no credible wrongful conviction claim goes unheard.
Twists and Turns
By Doug Heckbert
Doug Heckbert (2020)—former probation officer, educator, and author of Go Ahead and Shoot Me! —shares the story of Chris and Christine Davies, two formerly incarcerated Edmontonians who turned decades of trauma, addiction, and crime into a new life as parents, professionals and advocates. Chris, now a journeyman electrician, and Christine, now a housing program manager and community leader, have reflected on how prison programs, mentorship, cultural inclusion and determination helped them rewrite their lives. What emerges is a story of resilience, reconnection, and transformative renewal –a reminder that with support and purpose, people can, and do, successfully rebuild their lives after incarceration.
Book Review by Miranda Henderson of The Potential Contribution of Social Science to Tomorrow’s Society: A Criminologist’s Analysis & Predictions by Ezzat A. Fattah
By Miranda Henderson
In this timely and incisive book-review article, Miranda Henderson revisits Joel Bakan’s 2004 classic The Corporation: The Pathological Pursuit of Profit and Power by connecting its core arguments to current Canadian realities. She underscores the book’s enduring relevance amid record corporate profits, weak regulation, and widening inequality. Henderson distills Bakan’s central claim—that corporate law incentivizes antisocial behaviour—and explores its implications for justice and governance. By linking corporate conduct to strain theory and real-world cases, she offers a compelling introduction for readers newly engaging with Bakan’s critique. Dr. John Winterdyk, Justice Report Book Review Editor.
Forensic Genetic Genealogy: The Unwilling Informant
By Janne Holmgren (PhD)
In her detailed analysis, Janne Holmgren examines the arrest of Joseph James DeAngelo—identified in 2018 as the Golden State Killer—through Forensic Genetic Genealogy (FGG), a powerful but controversial investigative tool. FGG merges DNA analysis with genealogical research using consumer genetic databases to identify distant relatives of crime scene DNA. The technique has helped solve hundreds of cases and identify thousands of unidentified deceased persons. However, it raises ethical and legal concerns about third-party privacy and informed consent. As law enforcement increasingly turns to open-access databases like GEDmatch, Holmgren questions whether consumers are aware of the risks of becoming unwitting informants in criminal investigations. She also highlights growing privacy concerns in Canada, where oversight bodies have begun scrutinizing and responding to the use of forensic genealogy in law enforcement.
Judicial Interim Release Reform in Canada
By Angel K. Grewal
Angel K. Grewal traces recent reforms to Canada’s bail system through Bills C-75 (2019) and C-48 (2023), examining how lawmakers seek to balance Charter rights with public safety. While reforms aim to reduce remand overcrowding and address Indigenous over-representation, they risk eroding civil liberties by expanding reverse-onus provisions and complex bail conditions. Grewal argues for the continued modernization that safeguards both public confidence and constitutional fairness. This article examines judicial interim release—commonly known as bail—in Canada, focussing on its constitutional foundations and ongoing reforms under Bills C-75 (2019) and C-48 (2023). These changes seek to balance Charter rights with public safety, reduce the overrepresentation of marginalized groups, and respond to concerns about violent offending. Yet despite decades of reform, Canada’s bail regime remains complex and in need of modernization.
Opinions expressed in this publication do not necessarily reflect the Association’s views, but are included to encourage reflection and action on the criminal justice system throughout Canada.