The Department of Criminology invites students to apply for the Bob Gaucher Scholarship
The Bob Gaucher Scholarship was established at the Department of Criminology in honour of Dr. Bob Gaucher, a leading figure in advancing prison justice and penal abolition, both in Canada and the world. Bob was instrumental in the 1976 abolition of the death penalty in Canada and the establishment of the Journal of Prisoners on Prisons, which has featured peer-reviewed articles written by current and former prisoners on the experience and socio-politics of incarceration since 1988. As a professor in the Department of Criminology, he created Abolitionism and the Criminal Justice System, which was the first mandatory undergraduate course of its kind in Canada. Through his teaching and activism, Bob had an immeasurable impact on the lives of his students, many of whom have gone on to be leading abolitionist thinkers and community practitioners. The scholarship awarded in his name aims to carry-on his vision for a world without prisons and punishment, fulfilling the obligation he instilled in his students – “meet one, teach one”.
Awarded annually to an undergraduate or graduate student in the Department of Criminology, applicants are invited to submit (a) their Curriculum Vitae and (b) a letter (max. 500 words) detailing how their academic work will advance prison justice or abolitionist thought and praxis by the 30 May 2020 deadline. Applications must be made through Online Scholarships and Bursaries, which can be accessed through www.uozone.uOttawa.ca. The selection committee will award the Bob Gaucher Scholarship to the candidate who – on the basis of their track record, engagement with the community and letter – is best positioned to advance prison justice or abolitionist thought and praxis through their academic work.
