International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination - ICAAD

1 week ago

"But the most controversial tool by far comes after police have made an arrest. Say hello to criminal risk assessment algorithms.

Risk assessment tools are designed to do one thing: take in the details of a defendant’s profile and spit out a recidivism score—a single number estimating the likelihood that he or she will reoffend. A judge then factors that score into a myriad of decisions that can determine what type of rehabilitation services particular defendants should receive, whether they should be held in jail before trial, and how severe their sentences should be. A low score paves the way for a kinder fate. A high score does precisely the opposite." ... See MoreSee Less

International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination - ICAAD

2 weeks ago

The U.S. is in blatant violation of Article 31 of the 1951 Convention relating to the Status of Refugees: Non-penalization, Detention and Protection.

"Detention of asylum seekers which is applied for [illegitimate] purposes, for example, as part of a policy to deter future asylum seekers, or to dissuade those who have commenced their claims from pursuing them, is contrary to the norms of refugee law.

It should not be used as a punitive or disciplinary measure for illegal entry or presence in the country. Detention should also be avoided for failure to comply with the administrative requirements or other institutional restrictions related residency at reception centers, or refugee camps." ... See MoreSee Less

International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination - ICAAD

2 weeks ago

ICAAD joins the U.S. Human Rights Network and others calling for UN Member States, including the U.S., to fulfill their obligations to pay their dues. In addition to affecting funding for peacekeeping missions and critical aid provided by the UN, the budget shortfalls will severely curb human rights enforcement.

Michelle Bachelet, the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, “told the committees that oversee compliance with 10 core multilateral treaties that they will probably need to cancel hearings set for later this year...Six of the committees likely to be affected oversee adherence to treaties that uphold children’s rights and combat civil and political repression, discrimination against women, torture and racial discrimination.”

See the open letter submitted to all Permanent Missions to the United Nations. icaad.ngo/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/Open-NGO-Letter-Funding-for-Treaty-Bodies.pdf ... See MoreSee Less

International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination - ICAAD

3 weeks ago

"We are in Mad Max territory now; there are no rules," Levitt said. "I think you'll see more legislators in more states [where there is unilateral control] taking up the mantle of extreme partisan aggression against people who disagree with them."

The court's ruling came in two cases. In Maryland, Democrats who controlled the state legislature drew new lines for congressional districts to eliminate one of the state's two GOP seats in the U.S. House of Representatives; and in North Carolina, where Republicans controlled the state legislature, they used the same tactics to isolate and limit Democratic power, and maximize their own.

Levitt emphasized that the issue isn't a partisan one. While Republicans have benefited most from the practice in recent years, that's mostly due to their success capturing statehouses in the 2010 election.

This is emphatically not a specifically Republican problem," Levitt said. "History has shown that both major parties are perfectly willing to rig the electoral rules to benefit their own, and to draw the lines to punish opposing partisans." Justice Elena Kagan...noted in an impassioned dissent: "Of all times to abandon the Court's duty to declare the law, this was not the one. The practices challenged in these cases imperil our system of government. Part of the Court's role in that system is to defend its foundations. None is more important than free and fair elections. With respect but deep sadness, I dissent."" ... See MoreSee Less

International Center for Advocates Against Discrimination - ICAAD

4 weeks ago

Quebec recently passed a discriminatory law similar to the ones in France prohibiting religious garb in public spaces. In this radio interview, ICAAD Advisor Ranjit Singh discusses the impact the law has had in France -- instead of reducing extremism, it has caused it to grow. ... See MoreSee Less