PRISONS WON'T REDUCE CRIME

Re: Most justice commitments already done, Nov. 1.

As Justice Minister Rob Nicholson should be aware, crime in general
and violent crime in particular have been declining since 1992.

Prohibition is a social control mechanism that causes a portion of
crime. Enforcing prohibition increasingly causes more crime, not less.

The conclusion is inescapable. If prohibition were repealed, crime in
Canada would be even lower than now.

But who is asking for more police, more arrests, more incarcerations?
The RCMP lobby and government, in particular. Is that not a conflict
of interest?

About 80 per cent of prison inmates are illiterate and many were
abused as children. Exactly how is prison supposed to make that better?

If our government intended to reduce crime, it would make education,
social stability, and child welfare absolute priorities.

Bruce Codere

Fox Creek, Alberta