Pubdate: Tue, 09 Mar 2010
Source: National Post (Canada)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact: http://drugsense.org/url/O3vnWIvC
Website: http://www.nationalpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/286
Author: Janice Tibbetts, Canwest News Service

BUILDING BOOM SET FOR FEDERAL PRISON SYSTEM

Capital Costs Budgeted To Rise 43% Next Year

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% 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 email obtained by Canwest News Service.

In a brief note to staff sent on Dec. 23, Mr. Head announced changes 
to the senior ranks of the prison system "to best prepare itself to 
implement many of the changes associated with several of the pieces 
of legislation that will result in a growth of our inmate population."

The government has previously said it is only contemplating expanding 
existing facilities or building more prisons to handle an anticipated 
influx of federal offenders.

"Any conversation before has been general musing," said Liberal 
public safety critic Mark Holland. "What this says to me is that they 
know what they are doing, they know what they are building -- they 
are just refusing to let it go public."

Critics have questioned the need for a prison-building boom in times 
of fiscal restraint and declining crime rates, particularly when they 
say there is no evidence that longer sentences work in cutting crime.

"This is basically pouring money down a rat hole," said Craig Jones, 
executive director of the John Howard Society.

He predicted the prison service is on the verge of becoming "the 
largest building contractor in Canada."

Government spending estimates, released last week, show the prison 
system's tab for capital expenditures for the coming fiscal year will 
increase 43%, to $329.4-million in 2010-2011, from $230.8-million in 2009-2010.

Mr. Head's email does not specify whether the federal construction 
initiatives mean building more prisons or expanding existing ones.

But Christine Cversko, a spokeswoman for Public Safety Minister Vic 
Toews, said there are no plans to build new prisons, and that the 
money will be spent on "updating and improving" existing facilities.

"Our government is making decisions based on what we need to do in 
order to make our communities safe," she said in an email. "Releasing 
criminals onto our streets early has a much higher cost than keeping 
criminals behind bars."

The Harper government has refused to divulge a total tab for its 
initiatives to imprison more offenders, citing cabinet confidences.

The government has proposed or passed several pieces of legislation 
that would impose mandatory minimum jail terms for a variety of crimes.
- ---
MAP posted-by: Keith Brilhart