John L. Hill will give a short presentation and then answer your questions about prison, covering the time from arrest to trial, sentencing, incarceration, parole, and rejoining the community. He will discuss the many differences in real life from what is often portrayed in television or movie dramas.
John L. Hill is a retired Canadian lawyer known for his work in criminal and prison law, focusing on representing penitentiary inmates and individuals involved in some of Canada's most complex cases. Throughout his career, Hill has handled high-profile cases, including those involving solitary confinement and wrongful convictions. He has written three books Pine Box Parole: Terry Fitzsimmons and the Quest to End Solitary Confinement, The Rest of the [True Crime] Story, and Acts of Darkness: Notorious Criminals, Their Defenders, Prosecutors & Jailers.
The Rest of the [True Crime] Story (AOS Publishing, 2024) was nominated in 2025 for the Award of Excellence in The Brass Knuckles Award for Best Nonfiction Crime Book, sponsored by David Reid Simpson Law Firm (Hamilton). You can listen to his interview on the CWC podcast here.
Hill is the CWC's Central/East/Ottawa Regional Representative and volunteers as a mentor for lawyers wanting to practice prison law.