DAY EXPLAINS PRISON TATTOO DECISION

Re: Day Did Not Follow Tattoo Report, Jan. 16.

Your readers deserve to get the full picture as to why our government
discontinued the initiative to set up tattoo parlours in our
corrections facilities.

Canadians were surprised to learn that taxpayers' dollars were paying
for these parlours. So was I. Unlike the Liberals, Canada's current
government does not believe that spending taxpayers' money on
providing tattoos for convicted criminals is an effective use of
public money. Like all Canadians, inmates must take responsibility
for their own health. At the same time, we continue to support
education initiatives that Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has
put in place in order to educate inmates about the dangers of illicit
tattooing.

I also note that the CSC commissioner recommended that we close the
six pilot sites for the tattoo project and that the Correctional
Officers Union (UCCO) called the program "a waste of money" and a
"Band-aid solution." UCCO also predicted that the program would
result in our correctional officers being assaulted with tattooing needles.

I toured institutions where the tattoo pilot project was practised
and saw firsthand that this program was not an effective use of
taxpayers' dollars. Our decision to not provide tattoos for convicted
criminals was also based on the Draft Evaluation Report prepared by
CSC, which failed to conclusively determine that the health and
safety of staff members, inmates and the general public would be
protected by maintaining this program.

Our new government believes in using resources as Canadians would
want us to. That means focusing our resources on tackling crime and
crime prevention.

Stockwell Day

Minister of Public Safety

Ottawa