Summary
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In this essay, Dan Gardner reflects on the book Con Game, a recent book by investigative journalist Michael Harris. When Con Game was published, The Ottawa Citizen (a newspaper in Ottawa, Ontario) had just begun publishing a lengthy series of articles under the title âCrime and Punishment,â? articles researched and written by Gardner. Based on his research, Gardner believed that the Canadian way of crime and punishment, while not perfect, was in many ways a model for the world. Harris, in contrast, argued in his book that Canadaâs prison system was in crisis, and that the Correctional Service of Canada neither reformed criminals not protected the public. Gardner responded by closely examining the assertions and arguments in Harrisâs book. In the course of his reflection, Gardner concluded that many uses of statistics by Harris and many of Harrisâs positions on criminal justice are just plain wrong.
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