PRISONS SUFFERING 'WEAR AND TEAR'

Building New Facilities Could Cost Federal Government $225 Million

Canada's prison system is suffering from "rust out," with dozens of
deteriorating penitentiaries and nearly 80 per cent of prison guards
eligible to retire in the next five years, according to an internal
government document.

The strain on the system comes at a time when the Harper government
is embarking on a get-tough program on crime that promises to put
more people in jail and keep them there longer.

The warning about the troubled system was contained in briefing notes
prepared earlier this year by Correctional Service of Canada staff
for Don Head, the acting commissioner of the prison system. The
documents were released to CanWest News Service through the Access to
Information Act.

"Our infrastructure is eating away, that's for sure," Michele
Pilon-Santilli, spokeswoman for Correctional Service of Canada, said.
"Our buildings are aging. Most are over 40 years old."

The water, sewage and electrical systems in many of the country's
penitentiaries need upgrading and the Correctional Service is trying
to secure more federal money to cover much needed renovations, she said.

The 54-facility prison system currently operates on $1.6 billion annually.

Public Safety Minister Stockwell Day estimated it could cost $225
million to $245 million over five years to build new prison cells for
the growing number of inmates that are expected to enter prison if
the government's plans to bring in longer sentences pass into law.

Mr. Head, who elaborated on the problems at an all-party House of
Commons committee this spring, said that money being diverted to
maintain deteriorating facilities is detracting from rehabilitation
programs for offenders.

"As the buildings get older, the maintenance costs go up, and this is
money we have to find from within the organization to deal with that," he said.

"The more we divert the money to deal with the rust-out issues, the
less opportunity we have to deal with the program and intervention
needs of the offenders."

A contributing factor to the increased pressure on prisons is that
inmates are being sentenced for shorter periods of time than in the
past, leading to a revolving door syndrome of sorts that is creating
more "wear and tear," he said.

Ms. Pilon-Santilli said that prisons were also built as
one-size-fits-all facilities and they were not designed to hold
today's type of inmates, who are generally younger than their
predecessors and belong to prison "subpopulations" such as gang
members, who must be housed separately.

Mr. Head, in his presentation to the committee, did not mention the
anticipated staffing shortfalls highlighted in his briefing notes,
which state that 78 per cent of correctional officers (4,700) and 71
per cent of parole officers (1,400) can retire within five years.

The eligibility numbers are higher than usual this year as a result
of a new collective agreement, reached earlier this year, that allows
people employed within prisons to retire after 25 years, regardless
of their age.

"It certainly does not mean they will all want to retire," Ms.
Pilon-Santilli said.