CRIME BILLS LINKED TO JAIL OVERCROWDING

Stricter drug sentencing legislation being proposed by the federal
government would result in worsening overcrowding in jails such as
Windsor's, Windsor-Tecumseh MP Joe Comartin says.

Bill C-15, which is currently before the Liberal-controlled Senate,
would see mandatory minimum sentences for serious drug crime
beginning at six months.

"It's quite clear that we don't have the facilities," said Comartin.
"We're double-bunking and triple-bunking in federal and provincial
institutions already."

The legislation calls for mandatory minimum sentences in a number of
situations, including: . when the offence of trafficking is carried
out for organized crime purposes or a weapon or violence is involved;
. the drug is sold to youth or the trafficking takes place near a
school; . the production of a drug presents a potential security,
health or safety hazard to children or a residential community.

On Monday Liberal senators passed amendments that Justice Minister
Rob Nicholson says gut the legislation.

"Once again, the Liberals and their colleagues are playing politics
at the expense of the safety and security of Canadians," Nicholson
said in a news release.

"We need Michael Ignatieff to take a stand against the gangs and
organized crime who exploit Canada's most vulnerable citizens,
including our youth."

The Liberal amendments removed the mandatory penalty targeting drug
producers with between five and 200 marijuana plants.

Nicholson said the loophole will allow gangs and organized crime to
grow for the purpose of trafficking between 100 and 200 marijuana
plants in five or six different locations without jail time.

Comartin said the NDP opposes the legislation as well as another bill
restricting conditional sentences.

He said if all the Conservative crime bills were to pass it could
double the number of people incarcerated in Canadian jails.

"If they got all their bills through it could potentially see a
doubling of the number of people in our prisons," said Comartin.

He said the government would have to find a place to incarcerate
people in a system that is already overcrowded.