Jail program is a good investment for all

 THE DAILY NEWS

 

The debate over punishment for the crime or rehabilitating the criminal is an old one.

 

While arguments for and against must first be applied to a specific crime and criminal, a project at Nanaimo Correctional Centre is making a strong case for the efficacy of rehabilitation.

 

The therapeutic community at the jail, Guthrie House, focused on teaching inmates how to handle their substance abuse problems, is having a definite impact on recidivism.

 

The Guthrie House program reflects the reality that the biggest issue around crime in Canada today is substance abuse. Take out of jail all those whose offences are related to alcohol or street drugs and quite likely we would be tearing down jails and prisons, not hearing from the federal government about spending billions to build more or expand current facilities.

 

The recidivism rate for those who go through Guthrie House has been documented by B.C. Corrections at 38%, well below the 56% for the regular inmate population at NCC.

 

A documented drop of 18% is not something to be ignored. It's evidence that this a program that works. And B.C. Corrections thinks so, too, otherwise it would not be expanding the program to other provincial jails.

 

The therapeutic community model is not new, though this is the first time it's been tried in a correctional facility in Canada. The idea is fairly straightforward; the focus is on a group of inmates who want to get clean being provided counselling and support while also supporting each other.

 

The therapeutic community stands in stark contrast to the impersonal and way that jails and prisons in Canada have been run since the 19th century. This program acknowledges the humanity of the offender and provides connection with others.

 

Of course, this isn't something for every inmate. There are those with psychopathy who would just subvert such efforts, and others with personality disorders or mental health problems who would have difficulty in such a setting. But what's important to remember is that those types of inmates are a minority.

 

And it is in reaction to that small but significant number that an unfortunate but growing trend has emerged in Canadian society calling for more punishment for the crime over rehabilitation for the criminal.

 

No doubt, there are offenders who should be locked up for as long as possible to make sure we are safe. But it's important not to confuse the alcoholic and drug addicted criminal who, once free of that yoke, can be become productive members of society.

 

That's where the therapeutic community has a vital role. And someone needs to put this study in the hands of Nanaimo-Alberni MP James Lunney to pass on to Justice Minister Vic Toews and Prime Minister Stephen Harper before they go further down the road of wasting billions of dollars on a prison expansion program they have been told will only result in creating more crime in Canada.

 

It's likely this program gained political support in B.C. because of the potential money it can save. If we can drop recidivism by an astounding 18%, or any number at all, there is potential to save million of dollars and much more.

 

The much more is also worth considering, because that is less crime on our street. Victims of crime care little about money; they want justice.

 

But justice is useless if all it becomes is a revolving door for criminals.

 

The success of this therapeutic community only opens doors for all of us.