University of Toronto at
Mississauga Department of
Sociology September 2016
CANADIAN PRISONS
SOC 301: 2016
Fridays 1 pm - 3 pm
IB 345
Instructor: Zachary Levinsky
Office: DV – 3208D
Office Hour: Fridays 11am -12pm
Course Description
This course will examine trends and approaches within the correctional system in
Canada. It will explore the historical and contemporary context of correctional
practices. Attention will be paid to the differential impact of Canadian corrections
on Aboriginal people and other minority groups.
Outcomes
o Have a better understanding of how our prison system operates
o Connect the pragmatic workings of the current system to the
historical antecedents
o Understand the philosophical bases of the prison system in Canada
o Evaluate the ability of prisons to take into account human rights.
o Analyze primary documents such as Correctional Service of Canada policies
o Probe how the prison system and its actors are held accountable
o Think of different possibilities beyond the prison
Prerequisites, Exclusions, CSL
Group Prerequisites: SOC 100H5 & SOC
209H5 Distribution Requirement: SSc
Textbooks and other Materials
Links to the readings are posted on the course’s Blackboard website. Please note
there is no course package available in bookstores. If you have any issues with this
please let me know as soon as possible. In addition to the assigned readings, I will
occasionally use other media (such as clips from The Daily Show; Newspaper
Articles; YouTube interviews with important people; etc.) that will appear on the
, course website. This is required material as well. Students are expected to do the
readings before the lecture and be prepared for class discussions. The lectures are
not a substitute for the readings.
Course Evaluation
Method of Evaluation Due Date % of Grade
Assignment #1 October 7 20%
Term Test October 21 25%
Assignment #2 November 25 20%
Final Exam TBA 35%
Assignment details will be distributed at a later date.
*Late penalty is 5% per day. Do not assume a doctor’s note grants you an automatic
extension (i.e. do not simply attach a note to your paper without consulting with
me).
COURSE SCHEDULE
Every attempt will be made to follow this schedule, but it is subject to change at the
discretion of the instructor.
September 9 – Introduction
• Goals this week
o To get a sense of the prison population
o To understand the structure of the system
o To begin to explore Canadian differences in the prison
• Readings
o Juristat. 2016 “Adult Correctional Statistics in Canada,
2014/2015”. Julie Reitano. Accessible:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-
x/2016001/article/14318-eng.pdf
o CSC Organizational Structure
o CSC Virtual Prison Tour
September 16 – History of Prisons in Canada
• Goals This Week
o To see the historical antecedents of our prison system
o To read historical accounts with an analytical eye
• Readings
o Beattie, John. “English Penal Ideas and the Invention of
Imprisonment” from Taking Responsibility: Citizen Involvement in
the Criminal Justice System”
Mississauga Department of
Sociology September 2016
CANADIAN PRISONS
SOC 301: 2016
Fridays 1 pm - 3 pm
IB 345
Instructor: Zachary Levinsky
Office: DV – 3208D
Office Hour: Fridays 11am -12pm
Course Description
This course will examine trends and approaches within the correctional system in
Canada. It will explore the historical and contemporary context of correctional
practices. Attention will be paid to the differential impact of Canadian corrections
on Aboriginal people and other minority groups.
Outcomes
o Have a better understanding of how our prison system operates
o Connect the pragmatic workings of the current system to the
historical antecedents
o Understand the philosophical bases of the prison system in Canada
o Evaluate the ability of prisons to take into account human rights.
o Analyze primary documents such as Correctional Service of Canada policies
o Probe how the prison system and its actors are held accountable
o Think of different possibilities beyond the prison
Prerequisites, Exclusions, CSL
Group Prerequisites: SOC 100H5 & SOC
209H5 Distribution Requirement: SSc
Textbooks and other Materials
Links to the readings are posted on the course’s Blackboard website. Please note
there is no course package available in bookstores. If you have any issues with this
please let me know as soon as possible. In addition to the assigned readings, I will
occasionally use other media (such as clips from The Daily Show; Newspaper
Articles; YouTube interviews with important people; etc.) that will appear on the
, course website. This is required material as well. Students are expected to do the
readings before the lecture and be prepared for class discussions. The lectures are
not a substitute for the readings.
Course Evaluation
Method of Evaluation Due Date % of Grade
Assignment #1 October 7 20%
Term Test October 21 25%
Assignment #2 November 25 20%
Final Exam TBA 35%
Assignment details will be distributed at a later date.
*Late penalty is 5% per day. Do not assume a doctor’s note grants you an automatic
extension (i.e. do not simply attach a note to your paper without consulting with
me).
COURSE SCHEDULE
Every attempt will be made to follow this schedule, but it is subject to change at the
discretion of the instructor.
September 9 – Introduction
• Goals this week
o To get a sense of the prison population
o To understand the structure of the system
o To begin to explore Canadian differences in the prison
• Readings
o Juristat. 2016 “Adult Correctional Statistics in Canada,
2014/2015”. Julie Reitano. Accessible:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/pub/85-002-
x/2016001/article/14318-eng.pdf
o CSC Organizational Structure
o CSC Virtual Prison Tour
September 16 – History of Prisons in Canada
• Goals This Week
o To see the historical antecedents of our prison system
o To read historical accounts with an analytical eye
• Readings
o Beattie, John. “English Penal Ideas and the Invention of
Imprisonment” from Taking Responsibility: Citizen Involvement in
the Criminal Justice System”
