Connecting Paths 2026
The Department of Sociology & Criminology at Brock University and the Canadian Association of Elizabeth Fry Societies’ Centre for Research into the Processes, Outcomes, and Impacts of Incarceration (CRPOI), in collaboration with the National Steering Committee of Critical Perspectives, will host the 15th National Conference on Critical Perspectives in Criminology and Social Justice in May 2026. The conference is free, and everyone is welcome to attend in person at Brock University in St. Catharines, Ontario.
This year’s theme, Connecting Paths, highlights encounters that shape our social worlds and influence how we understand safety and justice. These meetings may be spontaneous or deliberate, fleeting or sustained, but are always capable of being generative. Our paths may converge in solidarity, diverge in tension, or lead to new directions for justice, healing, and transformation.
Please email criminology@brocku.ca with any questions about the conference.
Accommodation Information
On-Campus Accommodations
On-campus rooms in Brock University’s Residence 8 are available to book. Instructions on how to book rooms are as follows:
- Visit the Brock Conference Services accommodation booking site.
- Select “Book Overnight Accommodation.”
- From the dropdown menu, choose “Yes – I am attending a Conference or Event.”
- From the next dropdown menu:
- Select “No – Register” if this is your first time booking accommodations online at Brock.
- Complete the required fields to create your profile and click “Save and Continue.”
- On the Accommodations Selector page, enter the Group Promotion Code: CSJ26
- Important: This code must be entered in order to access the rooms held for your conference.
- Select your preferred accommodation style:
- Private: washroom not shared with a neighbouring bedroom
- Shared: washroom shared with a neighbouring bedroom (possibly with another guest of the same gender identity)
- Click “Continue.”
- Select your overnight stay dates, then click “Select” under the residence building name.
- Choose your bedroom option and click “Add to Cart.”
- Follow the prompts to complete payment using Visa or Mastercard.
- If you are hoping to share with a specific guest who is booking separately, you may indicate this request in the comments section during checkout.
Once the booking process is complete, registrants will receive a confirmation email. If a confirmation email is not received, the reservation has not been successfully submitted and should be completed again.
If you plan to stay on campus, we ask that you book your accommodation by April 19th.
Off-Campus Accommodations
Reduced conference rates for hotel bookings at the Four Points by Sheraton and the Holiday Inn are also available. You must use the links provided above to ensure a room in the conference block and with the reduced rate. The Four Points is a 10-minute walk to Brock University, and the Holiday Inn is about a 10-minute drive.
If you prefer to take the Niagara/St. Catharines Transit from the Holiday Inn, you can take Bus #302 (Ontario-Downtown) to the St. Catharines Bus Terminal. From there, transfer to Bus #316 (Brock-Glenridge) to Glenridge Ave @ Hotel Dieu Shaver Hospital. From the hospital, it is a 5-minute walk to Brock University.
Other accommodation options include: