Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC): Decarceration Guide (1 Position)

Area of Law: Criminal/Prison Law

Established in 2017, the Black Legal Action Centre (BLAC) is an independent not-for-profit community legal clinic, funded by Legal Aid Ontario, that combats individual and systemic anti-Black racism by providing free legal services, conducting research, developing public legal education materials, and engaging in test case litigation and law reform. To learn more about BLAC, check out their website here: www.blacklegalactioncentre.ca

In this project, students will conduct research on prevalent legal concerns and processes for currently incarcerated persons, such as how to submit a grievance. Students will create guidelines and brochures that can be handed out in prisons. BLAC does not expect students to go to Institutions to hand out the brochures. BLAC will ensure dissemination of the brochures to institutions. The project aims to address a critical gap in the prison system: ensuring that Black inmates are fully informed of their rights, particularly regarding how to file grievances and navigate internal appeal procedures. This initiatives seeks to empower incarcerated individuals with the knowledge they need to advocate for themselves while institutionalized. 

One of the most pressing issues BLAC has identified is that many incarcerated individuals, particularly Black inmates, are provided with insufficient or incomplete information about their legal rights and the processes available to them while serving their sentences. This lack of awareness can have severe consequences, especially regarding time-sensitive actions such as filing grievances or requesting video recordings. In BLAC's experience, many inmates reach out to BLAC unaware of the strict limitation periods that institutions and correctional ministries enforce for such actions. 

Black people are disproportionately represented in the prison system, often as a result of being stopped, questioned, and charged at higher rates than other communities - only Indigenous peoples face comparable levels of overrepresentation. Once in the system, Black inmates frequently endure racist treatment from correctional officers and other institutional staff. This discrimination manifests in various ways, including denial of proper medical care, refusal to provide special diets, and unjust placement in segregation. These harmful actions not only deteriorate inmates mental health but provoke reactions that correctional officers then use to justify upgrading their security status. These escalations in security status make it increasingly difficult for Black inmates to secure parole and often result in them serving longer sentences than initially intended. 

The consequences of systemic discrimination extend far beyond the prison walls, perpetuating cycles of incarceration and hampering reintegration efforts post-release. If Black inmates had better access to comprehensive information on the available grievance and appeal processes, it could fundamentally alter their lives. For example, reducing their security ratings through successful grievances could enhance their chances of obtaining parole earlier, allowing them to reintegrate into society more swiftly and effectively. 

The resources the student will create will be invaluable to incarcerated individuals in both provincial and federal institutions, offering a broad reach and the potential to significantly impact the lives of countless Black inmates across Canada. These resources would not only serve to protect rights while institutionalized but also help lay the foundation for a more just and equitable correctional system.