Pubdate: Wed, 17 Nov 2010
Source: Province, The (CN BC)
Copyright: 2010 Canwest Publishing Inc.
Contact:  http://www.canada.com/theprovince/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/476
Author: Norma Greenaway, Postmedia News
Cited: http://www.policyalternatives.ca/publications/reports/fear-factor

TORY CRIME AGENDA 'TOUGH ON TAXPAYERS'

The Harper government's emphasis on cracking down on crime will
inevitably be "tough on taxpayers" and may also be "lazy on crime,"
says a new report.

The report provides a scathing analysis of the Conservatives' "tough
on crime" agenda that, it says, is motivated by politics as opposed to
a desire to pursue sound policy.

The study was released Wednesday by the Canadian Centre for Policy
Alternatives, a left of centre think-tank.

Author Paula Mallea, a criminal lawyer and researcher at the centre,
says the government has used charged rhetoric and misinformation to
advance a crime and punishment agenda that may lead to more crime and
cost taxpayers billions to house more prisoners.

"Tough on crime is actually lazy on crime. It certainly is tough on
taxpayers," Mallea wrote.

The report draws on academic studies, Statistics Canada numbers and a
report by the parliamentary budget officer that says taxpayers will
have to fork out $5 billion to finance one of the government's new
prison sentencing laws, which will require 13 new prisons.

Kevin Page said it will cost $1 billion a year for five years to
implement the law that ended the practice of judges handing offenders
time credits, on a two for one basis, to compensate for time spent in
pre-sentence custody.

Public Safety Minister Vic Toews disputed Page's figures and put the
cost at closer to $2 billion. Toews has refused to put a price tag on
the cost of the "tough on crime" agenda.

"The Conservative approach to crime will cost billions and will
probably produce less rather than more public safety," Mallea wrote.

Longer sentences, harsher prison conditions and incarcerating more
people will spur more violence within prisons, and also increase the
possibility of prisoners offending again after being released.

The report says the Harper government has stoked fear with its
references to the war on "drugs, gangs and guns," while ignoring
statistics from Public Safety Canada that show the police-reported
crime rate has been deceasing since 1991.  
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