The Archambault Report was an influential study of the
penitentiary system in
Canada, published in 1938. It is widely recognized as Canada's preeminent document on
prison reform in that it changed the focus in
Canadian prisons from
retributive justice
Retributive justice is a theory of punishment that when an offender breaks the law, justice requires that they suffer in return, and that the response to a crime is proportional to the offence. As opposed to revenge, retribution—and thus retr ...
to
rehabilitation.
[Schugurensky, Daniel, ed.]
Archambault Report proposes that prisons focus on rehabilitation, not punishment
" History of Education: Selected Moments of the 20th Century. Department of Adult Education, Community Development and Counselling Psychology, Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.
The report presented the findings of a four-year
public inquiry
A tribunal of inquiry is an official review of events or actions ordered by a government body. In many common law countries, such as the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, Ireland, Australia and Canada, such a public inquiry differs from a royal ...
by the Royal Commission to Investigate the Penal System of Canada, or the Archambault Commission, a
royal commission chaired by Justice
Joseph Archambault
Joseph Archambault (February 17, 1879 – September 11, 1964) was a Canadian politician and lawyer.
Archambault was born in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. He was elected as a Member of the Liberal Party to the House of Commons of Canada in the 19 ...
that ran from 1936 to 1938.
The commission had been formed in response to a series of
riots
A riot is a form of civil disorder commonly characterized by a group lashing out in a violent public disturbance against authority, property, or people.
Riots typically involve destruction of property, public or private. The property targeted ...
and
strikes
Strike may refer to:
People
*Strike (surname)
Physical confrontation or removal
*Strike (attack), attack with an inanimate object or a part of the human body intended to cause harm
*Airstrike, military strike by air forces on either a suspected ...
in Canadian prisons in the 1930s.
[Correctional Service of Canada]
History of the Canadian Correctional System
. Retrieved on: 2011-09-10. Commissioners included Harry W. Anderson,
Richard W. Craig, and
James Chalmers McRuer.
The report proposed sweeping changes for Canadian penitentiaries, emphasizing
crime prevention
Crime prevention is the attempt to reduce and deter crime and criminals. It is applied specifically to efforts made by governments to reduce crime, enforce the law, and maintain criminal justice.
Studies
Criminologists, commissions, and research b ...
and the rehabilitation of prisoners. Included among the 88 recommendations were a complete revision of penitentiary regulations to provide "strict but humane discipline and the reformation and rehabilitation of prisoners." While the commission's recommendations were not immediately implemented due to the advent of
World War II, much of the report's philosophy remains influential.
[Correctional Service of Canada.]
Penitentiaries in Canada
" . Retrieved on 2011-09-10.
References
External links
Report of the Royal Commission to Investigate the Penal System of Canada
Royal commissions in Canada
Prisons in Canada
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