Pubdate: Tue, 17 Jun 2008
Source: Connection, The (CN ON)
Copyright: 2008 The Connection
Contact: http://www.collingwoodconnection.com/letter_to_editor
Website: http://www.collingwoodconnection.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/2222
Author: Peter Ellis, Green Party candidate, Simcoe-Grey riding

TORY CRIME TACTICS WRONG: ELLIS

The Hon. Helena Guergis recently sent a flier to my door saying the 
Conservatives were going to get tough on crime.

She would have Canada make the same mistake as the United States, 
which now has one person of every 100 in jail.

The Economist supports this astonishing number; as 2 1/2 million 
Americans are now in jail, or to be exact, 2,319,000 people. This 
makes the American system of justice the worst one in the world.

An examination of the American system shows that most of the 
prisoners are not violent, or part of the Mafia, but low level drug 
pushers and sick drug users. The three strikes and you are out plan 
has filled up the prisons and kept the sick drug users away from any 
chance of rehabilitation, and all they will learn in prison is to be 
better criminals.

Large numbers of young drug users in prison are being horribly abused.

The direct cost of the American penal system is $49 billion a year, 
and if the Conservatives follow the American example it will probably 
cost Canadians $5 billion a year.

We need a change of government.

The Green Party wants to keep more people out of prison, not put more 
people in jail.

After all, crime in Canada is decreasing, not increasing, as the 
Conservatives would have us believe.

Why would Guergis want to put more people in jail when every sensible 
route is to reduce our inmate population?

Drug users need help, and they certainly will not find it in an 
overcrowded prison.

Following the Green Party route of common sense is the only way to go.

Author: Peter Ellis,
Green Party candidate, Simcoe-Grey riding 
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MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart