At a time when the issue of human rights in prison, never high on the horizon of public concern, is dangerously close to being eclipsed by rising fear about public safety, Justice Behind the Walls takes us beyond the stereotypes of the keeper and the kept. In so doing, it holds up a mirror that reflects how far we have come in recognizing and respecting human rights in the places where those rights are most vulnerable. Conceived as both a personal and a public journey in search of justice, this book is an unprecedented endeavour to chart the DNA of contemporary imprisonment.

Weaving together the threads of correctional history, penal philosophy, landmark court decisions, the Charter of Rights and Freedoms and legislative change, Michael Jackson describes teh reality of reform against his years of observing disciplinary hearings and segregation review boards in federal penitentiaries, and draws on hundreds of hours of interviews with prisoners, wardens and correctional staff. Jackson's book brings to the agenda of public and legal debate a remedial toolbox that has the potential to enhance Canada's claim as an international model for a just society. Written in language that appeals to our common humanity, it brings many lifetimes of expereince to the struggle for justice.