CONSERVATIVES PLAN TO FIX UP, NOT BUILD, PRISONS

Despite Tories' Election Predictions, Expert Says Softened
Tough-On-Crime Push Will Likely Not Send More Behind Bars

The Harper government has no long-term plans to build new prisons to
house an anticipated influx of offenders convicted under the
Conservatives' tough-on-crime initiatives, despite setting aside up
to $245 million for at least one extra penitentiary immediately after
coming to power two years ago.

According to a Correctional Service of Canada capital plan, existing
prisons, which are aging and already full, would be renovated and
expanded to meet increasing demands over the next decade if need be,
but "at this time there are no major prisons envisaged."

The Correctional Service acknowledges, however, that "with the
implementation for various government initiatives in tackling crime,
an increase in the offender population may result."

The information was provided recently upon request to New Democrat MP
Charlie Angus, who was seeking written details from Public Safety
Minister Stockwell Day on the impact of federal anti-crime measures
on Canada's penitentiaries.

The Conservatives ran on a platform of putting more criminals in
prison and keeping them there longer.

Canada's 54 federal penitentiaries -- which are for prisoners serving
sentences of two years or more -- housed 13,200 offenders in
2006-2007, at a cost of about $82,000 each. Most facilities are more
than 40 years old.

The government's key initiative, which passed in February, would
increase automatic prison terms for a variety of gun-related crimes,
building on gun-control laws passed more than a decade ago by the
former Liberal government.

Mr. Day estimated two years ago that the gun bill would put about
300-400 more prisoners in federal penitentiaries every year.

Criminologist Neil Boyd thinks the real numbers will be less than
that, given that the bill that eventually cleared the Commons was not
as tough as the Conservatives' original proposal.

"I'm not sure it will have any impact," said Mr. Boyd, a
criminologist at Simon Fraser University in British Columbia.
"Nothing they have done to date is going to dramatically increase
prison populations."

He said the only initiative that will make a significant difference
- -- a proposal to impose minimum mandatory sentences for drug-related
crimes -- has still not passed in Parliament. The opposition parties
have pledged to block the bill. Currently, anyone convicted of
possessing, producing or trafficking illicit drugs receives a
sentence chosen by a judge rather than a mandatory prison term.

"The key issue is the drug bill. You're going to have a huge number
of people caught up in that, in the tens of thousands, caught up in that."

The Correctional Service has not ruled out the possibility of new
prisons in the future.

A panel of experts, who recently reviewed the federal prison system,
recommended building new "regional complexes" instead of renovating
and expanding outdated facilities. The Correctional Service says it
is "premature" to alter the long-term capital plans to reflect the
panel's recommendations.

Mr. Day's office did not respond to a request for updated information
on prisoner projections.