Project description: Already there is substantial body of literature which addresses the impact of U.S. drug laws on incarceration.  Much less has been written on the issue in Canada.  As penal institutions, parole officers, and police “toughen up” their responses to drug infractions, it is crucial that Canadians know how drug laws affect incarceration practices and re-offending.

 Research would be both quantitative (statistical) and qualitative (literature and/or interviews), addressing the following questions:

A.  How does drug testing affect the rate at which paroled lifers are charged with recidivism?  How does drug testing affect an ex-prisoner’s chances of re-incarceration?

B.  What are the effects of the new ion scanner on prisoners? Did actual drug seizures increase as a result of the scanner? The history of the ion scanner (i.e., it was used in airports until it was deemed inaccurate). What other countries, besides Canada, use the ion scanner?

C.  How many people in Canada are incarcerated on drug charges?

D. how did re-incarceration rates change when testing for THC (marijuana) was re-introduced?

E.  Overview of current and proposed drug legislation in Canada.

The research would address a critical lack of knowledge about the relationship between drug laws and incarceration, by producing information valuable to prison justice organizers, to the public, and to incarcerated individuals and their families.

Final product: The final product would be an accessible, easy-to-read guide (such as a pamphlet, zine, website).

Skills required: Undergraduate or graduate level student.  Background in legal issues is useful.  Writing skills are important.  The ideal student would be interested in prison justice issues, and be committed to communicating and following up with the group.  French language an asset.

About the organization: Re-Con is a prisoner initiated re-integration program, created in 1999, for lifers and long-term prisoners pending release at the Federal Training Center in Quebec. The motivation behind its inception was to establish a connection between the prisoner and the outside community, after a long period of incarceration. It is Re-Con's main goal to establish links with the community, especially regarding the community resources that may aid in the reintegration process and in diminishing the effects of long-term incarceration (institutionalization).