John Sainsbury, History professor, wrote an opinion piece entitled “Speak up, Mr. Ignatieff: You wrote the book on prison reform” that appeared in the Edmonton Journal on Dec. 23. An excerpt:

The Canadian prison system is in crisis, but don’t expect this to spark a forthright national conversation. Issues of crime and punishment constitute a minefield of starkly opposed ideologies, which is why centrist politicians steer clear of them. Michael Ignatieff has little to say on the subject, disappointingly so given his impressive credentials for talking about our penal system and the challenges that confront it.

• Speak up, Mr. Ignatieff: You wrote the book on prison reform