On May 16, a new USJE report highlighting the concerns of Canadian parole officers met with resounding pickup by Canadian media outlets. National broadcast and print media outlets across the country reported positively on the newly-released USJE report Protecting Public Safety: The Challenges Facing Parole Officers in Canada’s Highly Stressed Criminal Justice System.
The story was picked up by 183 news outlets with more than 15-million impressions. Coverage appeared in French and English media across Canada. On social media, 5,868 interactions were reported in the first 5 days after publication.
Among the news highlights:
USJE National Vice-President David Neufeld appeared on CTV National News Channel in a live interview with anchor Beverley Thompson, driving home the point that high caseloads and chronic understaffing have led to “insurmountable challenges to managing offender risk.” David Neufeld and Ontario RVP Bill Bailey were also interviewed for a Global TV news story that reported the vast majority of Canadian parole officers say they are overworked, and feel they can’t properly protect the public as a result.
An in-depth Canadian Press article was carried across Canada by national and small town outlets– including the Toronto Star, National Post, Ottawa Citizen, CTV National, Vancouver Sun and many others. A French language version was also published by Radio-Canada, La Presse, Le Journal de Montréal and other outlets.
In Quebec media, USJE member and community parole officer Andréanne Samson appeared on Québec Matin morning show on LCN-TVA, explaining the challenges parole officers face in Canada’s corrections system. David Neufeld was also interviewed in a thoughtful report by CKLW Radio in Windsor. Listen to his complete interview.
Read the press release.