Prison
Harper Government Borrowing, Increasing Taxes, to Build Prisons - Crime at 30 year low
By Janice Tibbetts, Canwest News Service
OTTAWA — The head of Canada's prison system says there will be "major construction initiatives" in the coming years to cope with federal legislation to imprison more offenders longer — an assertion backed by new spending estimates showing a 43 per cent increase in penitentiary capital costs next year.
Don Head, commissioner of the Correctional Service of Canada, set the stage for prison expansion in a recent e-mail, obtained by Canwest News Service.
US-style mega-prisons wrong for Canada
43% increase in prison construction is wrong approach to keep communities safeOTTAWA – The Harper government’s priorities for public safety are misguided, wasteful and ineffective says New Democrat Public Safety Critic Don Davies (Vancouver Kingsway).
“The Conservative plan is to spend 43% more on building prisons,” said Davies. “They are pushing a US-style approach that is expensive and totally ineffective at bringing down the crime rate."
The Conservative spending plan tabled this week shows a 43% increase in the budget for prison construction, from $230 million in 09/10 to $329 million in 10/11.
Jail rests on boosting prisoner total
By THE CITY is banking on the federal government sending more people to jail for longer periods of time if its hope of an economy-boosting jail here is to be realized.
A city co-sponsored feasibility study lists three pieces of legislation the federal government wants passed, each one of which would result in more people headed for federal jail cells.
‘I am pleased to have this opportunity to respond’ - Rob Nicholson
Rob Nicholson, Published in MacleansA few weeks ago, Liberal Senator James Cowan wrote the Justice Minister requesting a correcting of the record. A few days ago, the Justice Minister wrote back and Rob Nicholson’s office has kindly passed along that reply.
Full text after the jump.
March 1, 2010
The Honourable James S. Cowan, Q.C.
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Room 375-S, Centre Block
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4
Leader of the Opposition in the Senate
Room 375-S, Centre Block
Ottawa, ON K1A 0A4
Battling prison disease
By Judith Lavoie, Times Colonist
Drugs find their way into prisons, despite all efforts to plug supply lines. And for many inmates, the most dangerous part of life inside is sharing jury-rigged needles.
Lack of knowledge, misery and addictions combine in a sometimes lethal mix, but Canadian prisons do not permit distribution of clean needles -- meaning health risks soar for an already at-risk population.
Jail not sought for Manitoba pot advocate
WINNIPEG — Manitoba justice officials are not seeking a jail sentence against a medical-marijuana crusader found guilty of trafficking pot to clients across Canada.
Grant Krieger said he feared he would die behind bars after jurors found him guilty during his high-profile Queen's Bench trial last fall. But the Calgary resident returned to Winnipeg for sentencing Wednesday, and learned the Crown agrees he can remain free in the community under a conditional sentence.
The judge has reserved her decision until next month.
Perception and reality differ
Chris McCormick, The Daily GleanerRecently I listened to Michael Enright and his media-files team discuss the public's irrational fear of crime.
They began with a recent Angus Reid poll which found a disturbingly high percentage of Canadians believe crime has increased.
Obviously it hasn't, and in fact, we haven't seen such a relative degree of safety since the 1960s.
The panellists then discussed possible reasons for why people get it wrong.
The impression I came away with is that politicians distort issues to get votes, the media sensationalizes by leading with what bleeds, the police exaggerate crime to justify budget requests, and the public is too dim to see what's going on.
Justice Minister wants opposition to reinstate crime bills
By BRYN WEESE, Parliamentary Bureau Toronto SunOTTAWA - Justice Minister Rob Nicholson is “hopeful” the opposition parties will agree to reinstate 14 crime bills that died with Parliament's prorogation late last year.
“What would their motives be not to agree? If a piece of legislation is good for Canadians ... why wouldn’t they give us their complete support?” Nicholson said Tuesday.
When Parliament was suspended in December, all government bills died but they can be reinstated where they were in the legislative process before prorogation in various ways, including with a majority vote in the House.
Police quiet on St. John's prison investigation
CBC NewsThe Royal Newfoundland Constabulary revealed few new details during a news conference Wednesday regarding a correctional officer charged with drug smuggling at Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
"It's a complex investigation that is continuing," RNC spokeswoman Lynn Downton told reporters.
The police displayed the seized drugs that they say belonged to Edward Taylor. The drugs included ecstasy and marijuana, and painkillers such as Percocet, OxyContin and morphine.
Taylor, 30, of St. John's, was arrested as a result of a police search of the prison Monday evening.
St. John's prison guard in drug bust
CBC NewsA correctional officer in St. John's has been arrested and charged with smuggling drugs into Her Majesty's Penitentiary.
Edward Taylor, 30, of St. John's, was arrested as a result of a police search of the prison Monday evening. Taylor appeared briefly in a provincial courtroom in the city Tuesday afternoon.
A release from the Royal Newfoundland Constabulary said police seized a quantity of narcotics, marijuana and other contraband during the search that was related to an ongoing investigation dubbed Operation Safeguard.
