Based on first-hand interviews with survivors, people who have committed offences, and others on the frontlines, Indictment puts the Canadian criminal justice system on trial and proposes a bold new vision of transformative justice. 　

#MeToo. Black Lives Matter. Decriminalize Drugs. No More Stolen Sisters. Stop Stranger Attacks.

Do we need more cops or to defund the police? Harm reduction or treatment? Tougher sentences or prison abolition? The debate about Canada’s criminal justice system has rarely been so polarized – or so in need of fresh ideas.

Indictment brings the heartrending and captivating stories of survivors and people who have committed offences to the forefront to help us understand why the criminal justice system is facing such an existential crisis.

Benjamin Perrin draws on his expertise as a lawyer, former top criminal justice advisor to the prime minister, and law clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada to investigate the criminal justice system itself. Indictment critiques the system from a trauma-informed perspective, examining its treatment of victims of crime, Indigenous people and Black Canadians, people with substance use and mental health disorders, and people experiencing homelessness, poverty, and unemployment.

Perrin also shares insights from others on the frontlines, including prosecutors and defence lawyers, police chiefs, Indigenous leaders, victim support workers, corrections officers, public health experts, gang outreach workers, prisoner and victims’ rights advocates, criminologists, psychologists, and leading trauma experts. Bringing forward the voices of marginalized people, along with their stories of survival and resilience, Indictment shows that a better way is possible.

Benjamin Perrin is a professor at the Peter A. Allard School of Law at the University of British Columbia. He has served in the Prime Minister’s Office as in-house legal counsel and lead policy advisor on criminal justice and public safety. He was also a law clerk at the Supreme Court of Canada. He is the author of Overdose: Heartbreak and Hope in Canada’s Opioid Crisis.

Benjamin Perrin's profile page

• Long-listed, 2024 J.W. Dafoe Book Prize Awarded by the J.W. Dafoe Foundation
• Runner-up, 2024 Shaughnessy Cohen Prize for Political Writing Awarded by The Writers’ Trust of Canada

“Perrin prescribes a radical alternative based on what he calls ‘transformative justice.’ Perrin offers plenty of examples of alternatives to the status quo that are worth exploring further.”

<em>The National Post</em>

“An essential read for anyone aiming to better understand the complexities of this system. Perrin doesn't stop at identifying problems. In the latter half, he presents innovative, feasible solutions anchored in a profound grasp of Indigenous justice principles, trauma, and healing. I wholeheartedly recommend Indictment.”

Native Courtworker & <em>Bigger Than Me</em> podcast host

"A provocative book. Indictment is articulate and passionate and lays out what Perrin believes is a path to reform."

<em>Blacklock's Reporter</em>

“Meticulously researched … gripping … the author's compassion and empathy shines through. Adhering to the key principles outlined in Indictment would benefit us as a society in being – and feeling – safer.”

<em>Canadian Bar Association National Magazine</em>