Introduction: COVID-19 and Incarceration in Canada

Abstract

The COVID-19 pandemic and the measures to manage the pandemic have had numerous collateral consequences for social life across the globe. As people and organizations are adapting to the new normal, sociologists have been eager to appreciate the social implications of these transformations. This special issue examines how the pandemic and pandemic management has altered criminal justice institutions and shaped the lives of people navigating the criminal justice system. In this brief introductory article, we draw attention to the collateral consequences of the pandemic and pandemic management on criminal justice institutions, clients, and actors in Canada and introduce the work of the four sets of authors in this collection. We discuss the four articles in chronological order related to the institutions of justice, starting with bail and courts, moving to prison experiences, and concluding with a discussion of parole.