BIENVENIDA A LA PROYECTO TRANSPARENCIA EN PRISIONES

Acerca del Proyecto de Transparencia Penitenciaria

El Proyecto de Transparencia Penitenciaria es una red internacional de investigación y promoción que trabaja para establecer nuevos estándares globales de transparencia en prisiones y centros de detención. Nuestra misión es crear una base de conocimientos que impulse una mayor transparencia en el sistema de justicia penal en todo el mundo y crear conciencia sobre la crisis de transparencia en los centros de detención. Síganos en nuestros esfuerzos por traer cambios al mundo tal como lo conocemos.

Conozca al colectivo internacional de investigadores que lideran el proyecto

Ícono de dos manos abrazadas en forma de ♡

Icono de dos manos con la palma abierta en ofrenda.

APRENDER

SOCIES

NUESTRA MISIÓN

Somos un equipo internacional de investigadores, personas con experiencia vivida en encarcelamiento, organismos públicos, ONG, organizaciones de base, abogados, periodistas y familiares y amigos de personas encarceladas. Nuestro objetivo es recopilar y compartir historias e información, y estudiar y comparar sistemas de transparencia carcelaria.

Estamos construyendo

asociaciones y conexiones con quienes comparten nuestra pasión por la transparencia en el sistema de justicia penal. Hay muchas maneras de involucrarse, desde colaborar hasta aprender y apoyar a grupos de activistas y defensores existentes. Mire este espacio para obtener más información, próximamente.

Nuestra misión es establecer nuevas redes internacionales de investigación y promoción, crear la base de conocimientos necesaria para impulsar estándares internacionales de transparencia y crear conciencia sobre la crisis de transparencia en las prisiones y centros de detención en el escenario global.

MÁS INFORMACIÓN SOBRE EL PTP

Unmasking Ontario Bill 119

This presentation provides a critical analysis of the Protecting Ontario’s Streets and Communities Act, 2026.

Beneath its politically appealing title lies a dangerous legislative shift that trades genuine community well-being for unchecked institutional power. By dissecting the bill's key provisions, this slideshow demonstrates how the Act actively erodes public transparency and inflicts severe damage on the integrity of our criminal legal system.

To read more see: https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/bills/parliament-44/session-1/bill-119/status?tabSelected=status

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The Prison Transparency Project team took part, in May, in Connecting Paths: the 15th National Conference on Critical Perspectives in Criminology and Social Justice, hosted by Brock University's Department of Sociology & Criminology together with the Centre for Research into the Processes, Outcomes, and Impacts of Incarceration (CRPOI) 🧡
Isabela and Maialén, from Argentina, and Quimey, Elena and Pablo, from Spain, met up with our colleagues from Canada at this space for academic exchange.
The gathering allowed us to learn about each other's ongoing work, share updates on the project's progress, and outline new directions for what comes next.
We also held working sessions both at Brock University and at the University of Ottawa 📚
We thank everyone who was part of this gathering, as well as the organizers of this valuable conference, where we got to meet so many activists and social organizations 🙏
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El equipo del Prison Transparency Project participó, en mayo, de Connecting Paths: la 15.ª Conferencia Nacional sobre Perspectivas Críticas en Criminología y Justicia Social, organizada por el Departamento de Sociología y Criminología de Brock University junto al Centre for Research into the Processes, Outcomes, and Impacts of Incarceration (CRPOI) 🧡
Isabela y Maialén, desde Argentina, y Quimey, Elena y Pablo, desde España, se encontraron con sus compañeres de Canadá en este espacio de intercambio académico.
El encuentro permitió conocer el trabajo que viene desarrollando cada une, poner en común los avances del proyecto y delinear nuevas líneas de trabajo para las próximas etapas.
Asimismo, se realizaron jornadas de trabajo tanto en Brock University como en la Universidad de Ottawa 📚
Agradecemos a todes les que fueron parte de este encuentro y a les organizadores de este valioso congreso, en el que pudimos conocer tantos activistas y organizaciones sociales 🙏

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Study shows inadequate mental health and addiction supports in Nova Scotia.

People in custody experience some of the highest rates of mental health and substance use challenges in the province, yet many are unable to access timely, effective, and continuous care.

This slide show demonstrates that Nova Scotia's correctional system is not only failing to address these needs but, in many cases, is worsening them.

The findings in a report reveal a system where inadequate healthcare, harmful conditions of confinement, and a lack of community supports contribute to preventable suffering, repeated incarceration, and deaths in custody.

Meaningful reform requires recognizing that prison health is public health and that people in custody deserve the same standard of care as everyone else.

To learn more: https://nechc.com/wp-content/uploads/2026/06/MOSH-CRISM-FINAL-REPORT-JUNE-9-2026.pdf

This presentation examines civilian oversight of the RCMP in Nunavut through the Commission's 2024–2025 findings and the RCMP's responses to its recommendations.

Civilian oversight is intended to strengthen transparency, accountability, and public trust in policing.

Many recommendations were accepted, but not surprisingly, several of the most significant accountability measures received only partial support.

By examining complaint trends, prisoner treatment reforms, and institutional responses, this presentation considers whether partial implementation of oversight recommendations is sufficient to promote meaningful transparency, accountability, and public confidence.

As Anita Szigeti argues, coercion [or incarceration] should not be mistaken for care.

As governments across Canada expand forced treatment approaches for substance use, important questions about transparency, accountability, and incarceration are being pushed to the forefront.

When limited beds, staff, and treatment spaces are increasingly directed toward involuntary detention and forced care, many seeking voluntary supports are left behind.
Expanding coercive systems without first ensuring meaningful access to voluntary treatment risks deepening an already overwhelmed system, while failing the very people reaching out for care.
Provinces are increasingly investing in coercive models tied to detention, confinement, and institutional control — including within correctional environments.
These conversations matter because prison populations are disproportionately made up of marginalized and vulnerable people, including those living with mental health and substance use challenges. Expanding involuntary treatment without meaningful public scrutiny risks increasing institutionalization while failing to address the underlying lack of accessible, voluntary, community-based care.

Earlier, we shared concerns about proposed cuts to prison librarians and prison-based CEGEP programming across Ontario and Quebec.

Those cuts matter far beyond institutional walls.

If we want safer communities, we must invest in the conditions that support healing, education, rehabilitation, and successful reintegration after incarceration.
Most people in prison will eventually return home. The question is whether they return with the tools, support, and opportunities needed to succeed.
Research, education, libraries, and community reintegration initiatives are not separate conversations; they are deeply connected to public safety, long-term community well-being, and the reduction of future harm.

Big news for community-engaged justice research.

Congratulations to our very own Dr. Vicki Chartrand on receiving $1.4 million in funding through Public Safety Canada’s Indigenous Community Corrections Initiative.

The four-year national research project, How We Go Home, will examine Indigenous community reintegration and healing after incarceration through Section 84 and Indigenous community reintegration models across Canada.

Working alongside Indigenous communities, organizations, and research partners, this important project will document community-led approaches that support healing, cultural continuity, self-determination, and successful community re-entry.

We are incredibly proud to celebrate this meaningful and impactful work. Congratulations to Dr. Chartrand and the entire research team!

The Disconnect Between Rhetoric and Reality

In public policy and political campaigns, "tough-on-crime" slogans make for effortless soundbites.

Across Canada, politicians frequently demand immediate solutions to public anxiety by calling for stricter bail laws, fewer releases, and longer custodial sentences. The narrative is simple: lock more people up, and communities will instantly become safer.

However, this political theatre completely ignores the physical infrastructure, staffing, and basic logistics required to hold human beings.

This presentation explores a scathing critique delivered by Toronto Superior Court Justice Anne Molloy.
Her ruling exposes a correctional system created in a way where overcrowding has reached "intolerable" levels, staff shortages are chronic, and the provincial government’s policy demands have become completely unmoored from operational reality. When the state demands harsher punishments while failing to maintain basic human dignity, it is not just a logistical failure. It is a constitutional crisis that actively compromises public safety.

If CSC wants transparency, it should inform prisoners about use-of-force incidents and reviews, but they don't.

When Correctional Service Canada (CSC) uses force on prisoners, whether through restraints, pepper spray, physical takedowns, or extraction teams, the incident is supposed to be reviewed for legality and compliance with policy.

But the people subjected to that force are often never told the results of those reviews, and sometimes never even informed that a review happened at all.

In a system where staff hold immense power and public oversight is limited, secrecy damages trust, weakens accountability, and raises serious concerns about transparency, procedural fairness, and the rule of law inside Canadian jails and prisons.

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La semana pasada se llevó adelante una nueva reunión de Abrir la Prisión en la Facultad de Derecho de la UBA.

El encuentro reunió a diversas organizaciones y compañeros y compañeras del PTP, en un espacio de intercambio, reflexión y construcción colectiva sobre la realidad del sistema penitenciario y la necesidad de transformarlo.

Seguimos apostando al debate, la organización y la articulación para avanzar en propuestas que pongan en el centro los derechos humanos y la dignidad.

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Last week, a new Abrir la Prisión meeting took place at the UBA Law School.

The meeting brought together various organizations and members of the PTP in a space for exchange, reflection, and collective work on the reality of the prison system and the need to transform it.

We remain committed to debate, organization, and collaboration in order to advance proposals that place human rights and dignity at the center.

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La semaine dernière, une nouvelle réunion d’Abrir la Prisión s’est tenue à la Faculté de Droit de l’UBA.

Cette rencontre a réuni diverses organisations ainsi que des membres du PTP, dans un espace d’échange, de réflexion et de construction collective autour de la réalité du système pénitentiaire et de la nécessité de le transformer.

Nous continuons à miser sur le débat, l’organisation et l’articulation collective afin de faire avancer des propositions plaçant les droits humains et la dignité au centre.

A recent Toronto court ruling reveals a disturbing breakdown inside the justice system.

A veteran Toronto Crown prosecutor, Marnie Goldenberg, was found to have pressured a police officer after he testified truthfully.

The officer asked, “It’s the truth, should I have lied?” Goldberg responded with “We protect our own.”

Goldberg gave contrary evidence that the judge found lacked credibility and that undermined the integrity of the legal system.

The court rejected the prosecutor’s version of events and found her testimony lacking candour.

The result? A case was thrown out.

This post breaks down how one moment exposed a deeper problem: what happens when the people responsible for justice compromise it and what it reveals about power, pressure, and truth inside the legal system.

CSC recently changed the OAT medications available to federal prisoners

Please see the OAT pamphlet for the information.

Nuevo libro en camino 📚

Ramiro Gual publicó su nuevo libro y no queríamos dejar de compartirlo.

A lo largo de cuatro décadas, el Centro Universitario de Devoto se fue consolidando como un espacio único dentro del sistema penitenciario: un lugar donde la formación académica, la organización colectiva y la persistencia desafían los efectos del encierro.
El libro reconstruye ese recorrido y ayuda a comprender el alcance real de la universidad en la cárcel.

¡Lo felicitamos y esperamos leerlo pronto!
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New book on the way 📚

Ramiro Gual has published his new book and we didn’t want to miss the chance to share it.

Over four decades, the Devoto University Center has become a unique space within the prison system: a place where academic training, collective organization, and persistence challenge the effects of confinement.

The book retraces this journey and helps us understand the real scope of the university in prison.

Congratulations — we’re looking forward to reading it.
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Nouveau livre en chemin 📚

Ramiro Gual a publié son nouveau livre et nous ne voulions pas manquer de le partager.

Au fil de quatre décennies, le Centre Universitaire de Devoto s’est imposé comme un espace unique au sein du système pénitentiaire : un lieu où la formation académique, l’organisation collective et la persévérance défient les effets de l’enfermement.

Le livre retrace ce parcours et permet de comprendre la portée réelle de l’université en prison.

Félicitations — nous avons hâte de le lire.

Bill S-205 is an important amendment to the CCRA.
Tona's law aims to ensure:
1. Court Oversight
2. Accountability for Isolation by Any Name
3. Prohibition on Isolation of Those with Disabling Mental Health Issues
4. Alternatives to Isolation for Indigenous Peoples, African Canadians,
and Others Experiencing Mass Incarceration

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El lunes pasado presentamos el podcast del Prison Transparency Project 🎙️: Liberation Amplified -o Liberación Amplificada, en español-

Un proyecto colectivo que nace con una idea clara: amplificar voces que históricamente quedaron al margen. Apostamos al podcast como un espacio para compartir experiencias, saberes y formas de organización en torno a las realidades carcelarias en Argentina, Canadá y España.

Este trabajo es también una apuesta política y metodológica para pensar el conocimiento más allá de la academia, reconociendo las voces, lenguajes y luchas de las comunidades como fundamentales para imaginar otros mundos posibles.
Ya hay dos episodios publicados y varios en camino, donde abordamos memoria, educación en contextos de encierro y las redes de apoyo que construyen familiares y organizaciones.

💫 Gracias a quienes se acercaron, escucharon y compartieron el espacio. Nos podés escuchar en prisontransparencyproject.com/podcast o en las plataformas que solés usar para escuchar tus podcasts!

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Last Monday we presented the Prison Transparency Project podcast 🎙️: Liberation Amplified

A collective project born from a clear idea: to amplify voices that have historically been pushed to the margins. We see the podcast as a space to share experiences, knowledge, and forms of organizing around carceral realities in Argentina, Canada, and Spain.

This work is also a political and methodological commitment to thinking knowledge beyond academia, recognizing the voices, languages, and struggles of communities as fundamental to imagining other possible worlds.

Two episodes are already out, with several more on the way, exploring memory, education in carceral contexts, and the support networks built by families and organizations.

💫 Thanks to everyone who came, listened, and shared the space.
You can listen to us at prisontransparencyproject.com/podcast or on your usual podcast platforms!

Dear Friends and Partners of the Prison Transparency Project,

The PTP invites you to join us for an online presentation about the creation of our podcast, by team members Deeana Deal, Natacha Guala, Quimey Martinez Magarzo, and Eva Danielson, followed by a brief Q&A period. The seminar will be primarily in English, with some Spanish translation available during the discussion period. We encourage you to listen to the first two episodes of the podcast prior to the seminar.

TOPIC
PTP podcast, methodology & ethics, artistic contributions, knowledge mobilization, storytelling as emancipatory epistemology and counter-narrative

DATE & TIME
TOMORROW Monday, April 20 2026, 12-1pm EST | 1-2pm ART | 6-7pm CET

LOCATION
Virtual, Zoom

TO REGISTER
https://carleton-ca.zoom.us/meeting/register/0j_EpGyoS8CbFS5DukeUew

PRESENTATION LANGUAGE
English, with some Spanish translation available during the Q&A period

We hope to see you there!

Today, we recognize a valued member of the PTP, Neha Chugh, for receiving a prestigious award.

Please join us in congratulating her as the 2026 recipient of the President's Award. This is a well-deserved honour.

Neha is deeply committed to advancing legal rights and justice, and understands that transparency is the key to difference. Through her leadership, dedication, and numerous contributions to the legal profession and the broader community, she truly embodies the spirit of this award.

We at the PTP are proud to celebrate and honour you today, Neha.

Tomorrow we’re hosting a special in-person talk being given by Yusuf Faqiri, who will be a guest speaker in Professor Hollis Moore's LAWS2301 class at Carleton University.
Limited spots, registration required, link in bio.
Wednesday, April 8, 2026
1-2pm
5050 Minto CASE building, Carleton University
No admission fee

🎉 ¡Felicitamos a Julieta Taboga por su brillante presentación en la Segunda Reunión 2026 del Seminario Permanente sobre Transparencia Penitenciaria!
Junto a Máximo Sozzo, Julieta nos llevó a explorar su investigación centrada en el trabajo del PPN (Procuración Penitenciaria de la Nación) y su función de monitorear y controlar las prisiones contemporáneas en Argentina. 🇦🇷
Un trabajo riguroso, comprometido y necesario para visibilizar lo que ocurre detrás de los muros. 💪
¡Gracias Julieta! 🙌

🗓️ 16 de marzo de 2026 | Online | Con traducción simultánea español-inglés
Organizado por Prison Transparency Project · UNL · Universidade da Coruña · Carleton University
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We congratulate Julieta Taboga on her brilliant presentation at the Second Meeting 2026 of the Permanent Seminar on Prison Transparency! 🏛️✨
Together with Máximo Sozzo, Julieta took us through her research focused on the work of the PPN (National Penitentiary Prosecutor's Office) and its role in monitoring and controlling contemporary prisons in Argentina. 🇦🇷
A rigorous, committed and deeply necessary work to shed light on what happens behind prison walls. 💪
Thank you Julieta! 🙌

🗓️ March 16, 2026 | Online | Simultaneous Spanish-English translation Organised by Prison Transparency Project · UNL · Universidade da Coruña · Carleton University
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🎉 Nous félicitons Julieta Taboga pour sa brillante présentation lors de la Deuxième Réunion 2026 du Séminaire Permanent sur la Transparence Pénitentiaire ! 🏛️✨
Aux côtés de Máximo Sozzo, Julieta nous a guidés à travers sa recherche sur le rôle du PPN (Procuradure Pénitentiaire Nationale) dans le suivi et le contrôle des prisons contemporaines en Argentine. 🇦🇷
Un travail rigoureux, engagé et profondément nécessaire pour mettre en lumière ce qui se passe derrière les murs des prisons. 💪
Merci Julieta ! 🙌

In 2022, the Supreme Court of Canada (SCC) looked at the National Sex Offender registry and, in a 5 – 4 decision, found its requirements unfairly and unnecessarily too broad as it included individuals at low risk for reoffending.

After this 2022 decision, Canada made changes to the National registry.

Ontario did not make changes to its registry. Therefore, the law remained with the same flaws as the National Registry had until Michael Roberts filed a constitutional challenge and won.

But this decision only applies to Mr. Roberts' case.

Decisions like this highlight why transparency in the justice system matters. When laws are challenged in open court, it allows the public to see not only how they are applied, but also whether they align with constitutional rights.

This ruling brings needed attention to how Ontario’s sex offender registry operates behind the scenes. It exposes gaps between public safety goals and legal fairness. Transparency ensures these systems are not beyond scrutiny, and that even long-standing laws can be questioned, tested, and improved.

Justice doesn’t end at sentencing, and it should not last forever.

Too often, people who have served their sentences remain trapped under conditions that no longer serve a purpose, limiting their ability to work, build relationships, and fully reintegrate.

This recent decision by the Parole Board of Canada reminds us that second chances must be real. When someone has served their time, demonstrated growth, and no longer poses a risk, continuing to impose unnecessary restrictions isn’t justice; it’s ongoing punishment.

This case highlights the importance of second chances, transparency, and the right to rebuild a life after incarceration.

A fair system must recognize progress and allow people to move forward truly.

50 AÑOS DEL GOLPE.
NUNCA MÁS.

la imagen hermosísima es de @pilardibujito

Sault Ste. Marie Poilce Use-of-Force Cases Disproportionately Affect Indigenous

Transparency matters most where state power meets the public, especially when force is involved.

Data about police use of force helps communities understand how policing practices affect different groups and whether those practices are equitable. New research examining police use-of-force data in Sault Ste. Marie suggests Indigenous people, particularly young Indigenous men, are disproportionately represented in these incidents.

By bringing this data into the public sphere, the research highlights why transparency, accountability, and evidence-based policy are essential to building trust and addressing systemic disparities in policing.

Too often, people die of an overdose simply because observers are fearful of punishment if they call 911, and police arrive on the scene.

Canada’s Good Samaritan Drug Overdose Act was created to save lives by encouraging people to call for help when someone overdoses. Too often, fear of police involvement stops people from dialing 9-1-1, even when every second matters.

In a recent decision, the Supreme Court of Canada clarified an important protection under this law:

people who remain at the scene of an overdose after seeking help cannot be arrested for simple drug possession if the evidence comes from that situation. The ruling strengthens the purpose of the law, putting public health and life-saving assistance ahead of punishment, and ensuring that people are not discouraged from helping in an emergency.

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Felicitamos al profesor Máximo Sozzo —investigador principal del PTP Equipo Argentina— por la publicación de su nuevo libro El Castigo Actual. Principales teorías y debates, editado por Siglo XXI.
En sus páginas, Sozzo analiza las grandes teorías sobre las políticas penales y las confronta con la realidad latinoamericana, en una lectura a la vez rigurosa y necesaria.

¡Esperamos leerte pronto!

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Nous félicitons le professeur Máximo Sozzo —chercheur principal du PTP Équipe Argentine— pour la publication de son nouveau livre Le Châtiment Actuel. Principales théories et débats, publié par Siglo XXI.
Dans ses pages, Sozzo analyse les grandes théories de la politique pénale et les confronte à la réalité latino-américaine, dans un ouvrage aussi rigoureux que nécessaire.

Nous espérons vous lire bientôt !

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We congratulate Professor Máximo Sozzo —lead researcher of PTP Equipo Argentina— on the publication of his new book, Current Punishment. Main Theories and Debates, published by Siglo XXI.
In its pages, Sozzo analyzes the major theories of penal policy and confronts them with the Latin American reality, in a reading as rigorous as it is necessary.

We can't wait to read it!

A peaceful sit-in protest at Bordeaux jail, Quebec’s largest provincial jail, turned into an arrogant show of brutality and force by staff at the institution, all in the name of compliance.

Prison conditions are often hidden from public view, but moments of unrest can reveal deeper issues inside correctional institutions. A recent riot at Quebec’s largest provincial jail highlights tensions surrounding staffing shortages, prisoner treatment, and the impact of new rules on daily life behind bars. This situation also raises important questions about human rights, dignity, and how even small policy changes, like one additional hour locked in a cell, can significantly affect prisoners.

Yet another prisoner has died inside a Canadian federal prison, and once again, the cause is unknown.

When someone dies in custody, the public relies on institutions like Correctional Service Canada (CSC) to provide answers.

Transparency is essential—not only for families, but for accountability in a system that operates largely behind closed doors.

BC settles prison solitary confinement lawsuit for $60 million.

The class action includes people who:
• spent 15 or more consecutive days in segregation, or
• had serious mental illness while held in solitary confinement between April 2005 and October 2025.

Claims can be submitted until January 11, 2027

Prisons operate largely out of public view. What happens inside segregation units is rarely documented in ways the public can see.

But large class-action lawsuits can force transparency. Through court filings, testimony, settlements, and required reports, practices that were once hidden become part of the public record.

This recent settlement shows how litigation can expose systemic problems, push policy reforms, and create accountability.

Here is why this case matters:

[Book Clubs for Inmates writes:]
We are writing to you in a moment that calls for uncommon solidarity across Canada’s literacy, education, social justice, publishing, business, and library communities.

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) has announced its intention to eliminate all librarian positions in federal penitentiaries nationwide and to terminate funding for the CEGEP education program serving incarcerated students in Quebec institutions. These decisions represent not incremental adjustments, but a sweeping dismantling of core rehabilitative infrastructure.

Through our partners at National Associations Active in Criminal Justice (NAACJ), we are coordinating a national sign-on letter to the Minister of Public Safety urging immediate intervention.

We respectfully ask you to review and sign our letter here by Friday, February 27, so we may submit a unified, cross-sector response on Monday, March 2.

This is a national literacy issue. It is a human rights issue. It is a public safety issue.

If you are unable to sign, we would still welcome your advice and engagement. If you need more information before signing, please contact Sarah Smith-Eivemark (ssmitheivemark@outlook.com).

Moments like this test whether our commitments to literacy, education, and equitable access extend to those in custody. We hope you will stand with us.

With appreciation and urgency,

Tom Best

Executive Director

Book Clubs for Inmates

bookclubsforinmates.com

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@prisontransparencyproject

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TRANSPARENCIA

BIENVENIDA A LA PROYECTO TRANSPARENCIA EN PRISIONES

Acerca del Proyecto de Transparencia Penitenciaria

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