About us

The Birth of the Organization

The organization was formed in 1977 by citizens of the Quebec City region who were concerned about prison conditions and respect for the rights of incarcerated persons. Originally founded under the name Groupe de défense des droits des détenu·e·s de Québec(GDDDQ), the organization opted for its new name, Alter Justice, in 2011. This name change was necessary to reflect the expansion of its clientele and activities. [1]

The issue of incarcerated citizens’ rights may not be new; however, it is only in the late 1970s that it gained momentum, when some criminologists became interested in the prison system and the use of detention. During that time, the 1969 report of the Canadian Committee on Penal and Correctional Reform (Ouimet Report) severely criticized prisons. The committee revealed that prisons promote recidivism and do nothing to encourage social rehabilitation [2].La question des droits des citoyens incarcérés n’est peut-être pas nouvelle, mais c’est vers la fin des années 1970 qu’elle prend de l’ampleur alors que certains criminologues s’intéressent au système carcéral et à l’utilisation de la détention. Ce comité révèle que la prison crée la récidive et ne favorise nullement la réhabilitation sociale [2]. Ce comité révèle que la prison crée la récidive et ne favorise nullement la réhabilitation sociale [2].

In addition, the Commission of Inquiry on the Administration of Criminal Justice in Quebec (the Prévost Report, 1968-1970) scrutinized the criminal justice system for a two-year period. At that time, the most virulent criticism of the prison system was that prison was a school for crime. In fact, in the 1960s, Quebec had the highest incarceration rate in Canada [3].

The organization was initially founded by individuals who had worked within the Quebec correctional system, and in the course of their work, they had identified numerous shortcomings. They deemed it necessary to establish an independent organization to inform prisoners of their rights and obligations in prison.

Some of the Organization’s Campaigns and Actions

Since 1977, the GDDDQ has been demanding that prison authorities respect the right to justice, information and individual integrity. It requires that prisoners be informed of the rules governing their detention. This is a fundamental issue, as violations of these rules result in disciplinary measures. The Group also requested that individuals summoned before a disciplinary committee be allowed to prepare their defence and have a person of their choice present during their appearance.

During the 1981 Quebec general election, the GDDDQ denounced the refusal to grant voting rights to inmates in federal penitentiaries. This right had been granted in the previous year’s Quebec referendum [4], and the Group considered this to empower incarcerated citizens. It was not until 2002 that all prisoners in Canada were finally granted the right to vote [5]. Il faudra attendre jusqu’en 2002 pour que le droit de vote soit finalement accordé à l’ensemble des détenus au Canada [5].

In June 1986, the GDDDQ joined the coalition against the return of the death penalty in Canada and led the movement in the Quebec City region. It launched a major awareness campaign and circulated a petition against the reinstatement of capital punishment. Finally, on June 30, 1987, Members of Parliament voted overwhelmingly against the reinstatement of capital punishment, rejecting the motion by 148 votes to 127. [6]

In 1996, the GDDDQ, in partnership with CKIA Radio Basse-Ville, launched a radio program featuring inmates from the Quebec City Detention Centre. Following the success of the pilot project featuring three radio shows, a series of nine shows was broadcast live from the detention centre on 96.1 FM. This program, called Les Souverains d’Orsainville, involved 20 to 30 inmates each month. The project was intended to build bridges between the community and inmates through the magic of radio. [7]

In January 1999, the GDDDQ participated in consultations conducted by the Ombudsman as part of its investigation into Quebec’s correctional services. In its report, the Ombudsman noted that the situation had certainly changed since its first report on correctional services in 1985, but had, at the same time, deteriorated in several respects. Among other things, the Ombudsman noted the deterioration in inmates’ living conditions. [8]

During the 2001 Summit of the Americas in Quebec City, the Quebec Ministry of Public Security announced that all beds at the Quebec City Detention Centre would be made available to accommodate potential protesters. The GDDDQ obtained a commitment from the Minister that the remuneration granted to prisoners working in the workshops would be maintained in the event of a transfer and that health care would be provided through the transmission of their health record and a list of medications to the receiving institution. In addition, inmates would be provided with a calling card to limit long-distance charges to their families, and access to the temporary absence assessment process would be maintained for all inmates. [9]

In 2001, the Group won its fight for the confidentiality of legal correspondence. Mail from or to lawyers became confidential in all Quebec detention facilities as of September of that year.

In 2004, the GDDDQ joined forces with a committee of experts formed by the Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec [10] to study the privatization of prisons in Quebec [11]. After analysis, the committee opposed not only the privatization of correctional facilities but also the construction of new prisons [12].

In 2005, following the death of an inmate at the Quebec City Prison due to a medication error, the GDDDQ called for a public inquiry into the administration of health care in Quebec prisons [13]. The GDDDQ strongly denounced the lack of medical resources in detention centres [14]. Le GDDDQ dénonce vivement le manque de ressources médicales dans les centres de détention [14].

On its 30th anniversary in 2007, the organization held a writing contest for inmates at the Quebec Detention Centre. They were invited to share their vision for the future of correctional services in Quebec. The 30 best ideas were presented in the GDDDQ’s souvenir booklet and on its website [15].

In the autumn of 2010, the federal government attempted to pass Bill C-23b. This bill sought to drastically tighten the rules for eligibility for pardons, making them impossible in many cases. Like many organizations working with clients in the justice system, we were concerned about the negative impact this bill would have on social reintegration. The GDDDQ, therefore, organized a large-scale social mobilization campaign, inviting the public and organizations to express their concerns and opposition to Bill C-23b.

In addition, the organization participated in discussions surrounding the production of a brief, presented jointly by the Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec, of which the GDDDQ and the Regroupement des intervenants en matière d’agressions sexuelles were members. This brief was presented to the Standing Committee on Public Safety and National Security of the House of Commons of Canada in November 2010. In addition, the GDDDQ was a signee to an open letter calling for the withdrawal of Bill C-23b. This letter was published by the Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec and signed by 24 professors from various universities and 40 organizations. [16]

Alter Justice — The Rebirth

After more than 30 years of existence, the Groupe de défense des droits des détenus (GDDDQ) decided to implement a series of changes to better meet the needs of its clientele involved in the justice system. The first of these changes was the organization’s name: in 2011, the GDDDQ became Alter Justice. This new name was the result of lengthy deliberation and a desire to better reflect the diversity of its clientele and its actions. Choosing Alter Justice as the organization’s new name evokes a different way of looking at justice and demonstrates the organization’s and its members’ vision.

The second change corresponds to the implementation, in November 2011, of a new component to promote social reintegration. This new program offers information and support services for pardon applications. This is personalized assistance that allows anyone who wishes to do so to obtain information on the steps to take and on how to get support in completing their application and case file. Popular education workshops on rights defence, providing information on the socio-economic impacts of criminal records and on existing rights and remedies in cases of discrimination, were also offered. From the very first months of its implementation, the social reintegration program has been a resounding success, giving the organization a sense of mission accomplished.

While the focus was on developing the reintegration program in its early years, other programs were not neglected; quite the contrary. In fact, in 2013-14, despite a reduction in Alter Justice’s staff, the service recorded a record number of cases handled by its telephone information service for the second consecutive year.

In 2011, Alter Justice mobilized the public around Bill C-10, introduced by the federal government, which sought to change the eligibility criteria for pardon applications. To this end, more than 500 postcards inviting citizens to write to their MP Representative to express their concerns about harsher penalties were distributed, and two petitions were launched.

During 2012-2013, while the organization and its members were reeling from the death of their coordinator, Suzanne Gravel, and were mobilized by the need to raise funding for significant renovations to the Community Centre in downtown Quebec City that housed them, the team carried out numerous actions, several of which were large-scale.

The organization held an information booth at the Forum du Parvis to raise awareness about the impact of the criminalization of homeless and marginalized people and collected 1,100 books for inmates at the Quebec City Detention Centre.

In May 2012, during an evening conference on the challenges of criminal records in accessing employment and insurance, the organization launched a petition that will be submitted to the National Assembly in September 2013. The Quebec government was asked to take action to ensure that people with criminal records and their loved ones would no longer be discriminated against in terms of insurance. The petition gathered more than 500 signatures and the support of many Canadian academics.

In the wake of this, Alter Justice took advantage of the public’s enthusiasm for the series Unité 9 to launch an innovative and unprecedented awareness campaign. A special section on the website was created, where information sheets on themes addressed during the episode were posted each week. In addition to these sheets, Alter Justice also intervened live on social media during the programs’ broadcasts to answer listeners’ questions. The results of this initiative speak for themselves and are still being felt today. While the organization was previously little known to the general public, its association with the series has led to increased traffic on its website, a significant increase in subscribers, and widespread distribution of the information sheets created for the occasion. The organization also recorded four radio programs on CKIA FM to raise public awareness of issues related to criminal records.

June 2014 marked a turning point for the organization. Faced with the scale of the work to be carried out at the downtown Quebec City Community Centre , where it was based, and with the refusal of subsidies, Alter Justice, alike other organizations, was forced to move.

In 2015, various initiatives were launched, including an information booth at the Quebec City Job Fair and a campaign to improve access to criminal record suspension requests, in partnership with the Association des services de réhabilitation sociale du Québec.

As it approaches its 40th anniversary, Alter Justice takes stock: with 9,361 cases handled by the helpline since its foundation, 917 people reached through the assistance and support program for requests to have criminal records expunged, and a total of 1,529 interventions carried out, the organization can be proud of its history and the changes it has initiated in recent years.

Sources :

1. BÉLANGER, Lucie et al. Le mouvement communautaire autonome n’est pas né d’hier (bref rappel historique). Le Secrétariat d’État à l’action communautaire autonome, 1995, p. 1

2. LALANDE, Pierre. Évolution des politiques pénales et du discours à propos de l’emprisonnement au Canada et au Québec : de 1969 à 1999, Direction générale des services correctionnels, Ministère de la Sécurité publique du Québec, 2000, p. 6

3. Ibid., p. 27

4. BERNHEIM, Jean-Claude et Renée Millette. “Le droit de vote des détenu-e-s“, dans Criminologie, vol. 24, n° 1, 1991, p. 33-48.

5. Radio Canada. La Voix des détenus.

6. Radio-Canada. La peine de mort au Canada.

7. Souverains d’Orsainville. Site Web.

8. LANGLOIS, Denis. Rapport du Protecteur du citoyen sur les services correctionnels du Québec, Le Protecteur du citoyen, 1999, p. 1-11

9. Radio Canada. Opposition au déplacement des détenus de Québec, 1 février 2001.

10. Association des Services de Réhabilitation sociale du Québec [archive]

11. ASRSQ.

12. Ibid

13. RACINE, Jean-François. “Le décès de Steeve Germain : Le GDDDQ demande une enquête”, dans Le journal de Québec, 16 décembre 2004, p. 20

14. GAUDREAU, Valérie. “Prisonnier décédé : Pénurie de ressources”, dans Le Soleil, 9 décembre 2004

15. Cahier souvenir du 30e anniversaire du GDDDQ. 30 idées d’avenir : la prison de 2037.

16. ASRSQ

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