DRUG SENTENCE BILL WILL UP PAROLE BOARD WORK

Canwest News Service A federal bill that would impose mandatory jail
time for serious drug crimes would increase the workload of the parole
system, and the government intends to inject more than $100 million
over five years to ease the burden, according to the commissioner of
the Correctional Service of Canada.

Commissioner Don Head said at a Senate committee hearing Thursday that
if the bill is passed, CSC will receive an additional $116.5 million
over the next five years to support an expected increase in cases for
the National Parole Board.

Under the proposed legislation, mandatory sentences would be handed
out to everyone convicted of a serious drug offence, such as
trafficking, production, and possession for the purpose of trafficking
narcotics.