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Well, boys ‘n’ girls, those “dumb on crime” Harpercons have proven to only care about punishment and not rehabilitation, yet again. You see, they want to implement new laws with mandatory minimums and then just cuff ‘em and stuff ‘em in their mega-prisons like Thanksgiving turkeys. We all remember how the Prison Farm program– a program that helped prisoners develop skills. Now, we learn of a new cut in that vengence budget of theirs–The Lifeline program which has helped inmates and provided support to parolees.
An award-winning program that helps rehabilitate prisoners and protect the public by keeping them from re-offending is falling victim to budget cuts.
Get that, boys ‘n’ girls? An award winning program. A program that has proven to work:
research by CSC staff reports that inmates involved in Lifeline were less likely to get into problems while in prison or end up in segregation. Additionally, figures show lifers released on parole are among the least likely to re-offend.
Now, isn’t the idea of public safety to make sure that recidivism is reduced? Isn’t it in the public’s best interest to rehabilitate these inmates? I guess not in Harperland. It’s just lock’em up, stuff ‘em and let ‘em languish.
Naturally, officials at Corrections Services Canada have declined to be interviewed. Well, no shit! Stevie Spiteful and ol’ Vic lock’em up Toews has probably muzzled them. They only said that the program was ‘not proven to be cost-effective’. Really? I always thought that any money spent on such projects like Lifeline was a very sound investment–as mentioned above, reducing recidivism and thus, keeping the public safe. Oh, and another thing, it really didn’t cost that much.
The CSC’s annual budget is $3 billion, and of that roughly two per cent is spent on programming for inmates. The estimated cost of the Lifeline program is $2 million per year
Hmmm, $2 million out of a $3 billion dollar budget–seems like a drop in the bucket to me. I also wonder how much more it’s going to cost CSC and the public without Lifeline.
Once again, the US is proving to be going forward in the wonderful world of corrections while Canada regresses.
While Ottawa is giving up on the program, other jurisdictions aren’t. Officials from Colorado are so impressed with Lifeline, that they’re setting up a similar program based on the model here.
Further proof that it’s all about the punishment and not about rehabilitation/prevention. Is this really what Canadians want? Do they really think that without such programs, they will be safer?
I’m waiting with baited breath for Stevie Spiteful’s media buddies to rush out furiously, defending their master’s latest cut.
Minister of Sport,Gary Lunn, remember him ?was my MP a few years back but lost last election to Liz May even after a big robocall event, well, anyhow, i sent him a letter back then about the prison farms, how they should be maintained and why .
MP Lunn often sent lengthy replies back
As for the farm program, he said, it wasn’t really up to much, not serving many prisoners, and besides it would not provide ongoing employment after release whereas their new more tech rehab programs would be so much more useful and they would be adding more of this type of rehab
Eventho I pointed out to him, as a gardener, how therapeutic getting your hands in the soil is,working with the good earth,seeing the rewards,etc
Rehab to the Cons seems to mean something else
Vengeance is mine, saith Steve. The word has come down from oh high.
Of course the money that Lifeline probably SAVES CSC, by supporting former inmates who now contribute, or totally cover their own living expenses. And everybody knows that it costs more to support a prisoner in custody than it does to send them to university – all expenses paid!
These cro-magnons have got to go or using a new fitting term for the Harperites I came across this morning elsewhere – we have to rid ourselves of the Old Testament Psychos!
If the Government doesn’t spend time on choosing the right Policy on Crime, we the people would spend the rest of our lives paying the cleanup costs after their mistakes.
Back in the late seventies I wrote a paper on ‘Crime & Punishment – Its Impact on Canadian Society’ for which my professor gave me an A+.
At that time the total cost to operate the Canadian Prison System (“CPS”) was close to $100,000 per inmate. Building more Housing for CPS will only increase costs per inmate.
The objective of the CPS should be to deter criminal behavior and to rehabilitate the inmate.
Incarcerating a human being in a 6 by 12 cell reminds me of the song “Give Me That Old Time Religion.” Harper and the conservatives have many constituents who adhere to this song in that they practice a form of Christianity that is Anti-Christ.
Christ preached and practiced compassion and understanding. Today many so-called Christians and elected members of the Conservative Party lack compassion and understanding.
The current Government has two major issues that need rethinking. First, What Reforms will improve the CPS Rehabilitation Programs that will decrease the rate of Recidivism? Second, How will the proposed Tactic of building more 6 X 12 cells to house additional legislated criminal offences Impact the Cost per Inmate?
A better solution would be to isolate offenders from society by creating Prison Villages (“PV”). These would be self sustaining communities located in remote areas of Canada. PVs are unable to house most hard-core criminals but at least eighty percent of the inmate population would qualify.
The PV system of reform will allow offenders the opportunity to work their way back into Canada’s Society. In addition the cost average per inmate would decrease by some fifty plus percent . The PV concept offers several variables that provide value for the inmates and value for society.
In closing the objective is to rehabilitate the offenders, through education and teaching them to take responsibility for their own welfare by working and learning what it means to be a productive citizen in Canada.
Remember no government can do better than the people it has.
Johnny Angel