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prison

A photo of a soldier looking facing a tall fence and watch tower of a prison. The sky is a bright blue with white clouds
Current Affairs / July/August 2025

I’ve Visited Guantánamo 28 Times as a Reporter. It Still Defies Belief

May 21, 2025May 28, 2025 - by Michelle Shephard

The surreal gulag has a pub, a gift shop, and a McDonald’s. Now Trump is looking to fill it up again

Read More
A photo of a newborn baby on a white cot as seen through the thick white bars of a crib
Justice

Women in Canadian Prisons Are Routinely Separated from Their Newborns

September 13, 2024September 13, 2024 - by Robin F. Hansen

The story of one inmate who laboured—in shackles—in fear of being torn apart from her child if they survived

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A black-and-white photograph of an empty prison cell.
Justice

People Waiting for Trial Keep Dying in Prison. Can Our Corrections System Be Fixed?

April 19, 2023April 19, 2023 - by Geena Mortfield

Arrested for shoplifting and theft, TJ McConnell was jailed in the Edmonton Remand Centre. Four months later, he was dead

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Justice / November 2022

Wrongful Convictions Aren’t Going Anywhere

October 3, 2022October 3, 2022 - by Justin Ling

The Canadian legal system is confusing and expensive, especially if you’re falsely accused of murder

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Illustration of a prison building, with several women on the roof walking into a light. In the prison windows, behind bars, a couple of people remain.
Justice / September/October 2020

Did Prisons Ever Work?

August 18, 2020January 5, 2021 - by Lauren McKeon

A growing movement believes it’s time to stop putting women in jail

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A black and white photo of a row of four empty phones mounted on a chain-link fence.
Justice

Social Distancing Is Impossible in Prisons. Why Are They Still Full?

April 27, 2020May 12, 2020 - by Simon Lewsen

Bail courts have gone virtual and trials are suspended. But prisons, which pose a severe public health risk, are still open

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Photo by Aimee
Society

The Case for Prison Reform

May 16, 2017November 11, 2019 - by Robert Clark

The harsh American model has failed. Here’s how we can do better

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Illustration by Niall McClelland
January/February 2017 / Justice

To Live and Die in Solitary Confinement

December 21, 2016April 2, 2020 - by Breese Davies

In Canada’s prisons, the horrors of segregation are most often visited on the mentally ill

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Illustration by Josh Holinaty
December 2016 / Justice

Crops and Robbers

November 25, 2016November 19, 2019 - by Molly Hayes

How prison farms can help fill employment gaps and rehabilitate inmates

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Still from the documentary Guantanamo's Child
Current Affairs

The Private Life of Omar Khadr

February 22, 2016May 20, 2025 - by Rhiannon Russell

Can someone who spent a decade in Guantanamo emerge unscathed?

Read More

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The July/August 2025 cover of The Walrus magazine featuring an image of a woman reading a book while listening to music. She is sitting in a room filled with plants that also has a window through which a city skyline can be seen. July/August 2025

Explore how tariffs are testing ties between Northern neighbours, the death of the middle class musician, Afghanistan’s lost generation, and more.
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The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

© 2025 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
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© 2025 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved. Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001
Accessibility Help Privacy Policy Cookie Policy
© 2023 The Walrus. All Rights Reserved.
Charitable Registration Number: No. 861851624-RR0001

​​The Walrus is located within the bounds of Treaty 13 signed with the Mississaugas of the Credit. This land is also the traditional territory of the Anishnabeg, the Haudenosaunee, and the Wendat peoples.

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How’s The Walrus?

As the executive director, I am frequently asked this question. These days, I reply: “The Walrus was made for this moment.” From on-again, off-again trade news and negotiations to a new prime minister, we are committed to Canada’s conversations. We launched six regional bureaus earlier this year to ensure comprehensive coverage across this great country of ours. But we can’t do this alone. As a non-profit newsroom, this work isn’t possible without our readers’ support. If you believe in Canada’s stories, support our paywall-free journalism with a donation today.

Our team is small, but our commitment is big; just like our country. Every story we publish is the result of writers, artists, and editors going the extra mile (well, kilometres) to bring Canada closer together through compelling, fact-checked, and regionally grounded reporting.

Thank you for your support.

Jennifer Hollett
Executive Director, The Walrus


How’s The Walrus?

As the executive director, I am frequently asked this question. These days, I reply: “The Walrus was made for this moment.” From on-again, off-again trade news and negotiations to a new prime minister, we are committed to Canada’s conversations. We launched six regional bureaus earlier this year to ensure comprehensive coverage across this great country of ours. But we can’t do this alone. As a non-profit newsroom, this work isn’t possible without our readers’ support. If you believe in Canada’s stories, support our paywall-free journalism with a donation today.

Our team is small, but our commitment is big; just like our country. Every story we publish is the result of writers, artists, and editors going the extra mile (well, kilometres) to bring Canada closer together through compelling, fact-checked, and regionally grounded reporting.

Thank you for your support.

Jennifer Hollett
Executive Director, The Walrus

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