OMNIBUS BILL'S RESULTS OMINOUS

Watkinson is chair of the Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan and a
professor in the faculty of social work at the Saskatoon campus of the
University of Regina.

In the article, Sask jails 'recipe for disaster' (SP, Aug. 22),
Corrections Minister Yogi Huyghebaert affirmed his support for the
federal government's law and order agenda and said he is not concerned
with the influx of prisoners into provincial jails from a deluge of
new federal legislation intended to imprison more people.

At the same time, Hughebaert acknowledged the use of increased
incarceration is a problem since there is scant evidence as to its
effectiveness and, besides, the crime rates were in decline prior to
the federal government's "law and order" push.

How is it possible for anyone to support the federal government's
increased use of incarceration to the point where the crowded
conditions are a "recipe for disaster," even as crime rates continue
their 20-year decline and evidence shows incarceration is not an
effective way either to deter crime or rehabilitate those convicted?

Since taking office in 2006, the Conservative government in Ottawa has
introduced more than 30 pieces of legislation that have increased the
rates of incarceration and the length of prison sentences. It has done
this by increasing the use of mandatory minimum sentences, reducing
options for community-based sentences such as house arrest, and by
eliminating early release options.

The Truth in Sentencing Act, just one piece of legislation already
passed, is projected to increase prison costs by $7 billion to $10
billion. The budget for Corrections Services Canada has increased by
87 per cent since 2007, and is estimated to increase 100 per cent by
2013-14.

Imprisonment has become an industry. And as more and more people are
incarcerated and the cost of imprisonment rises, we see other public
services reduced to cover the costs.

For example, there have been cuts to Environment Canada and Public
Works, and inadequate funding for housing, health and education.

But it's not finished. Prime Minister Stephen Harper plans to
introduce an omnibus bill this fall. It should be called the ominous
bill, because it promises harmful consequences.

The proposed bill is made up of 11 pieces of legislation that his
government could not get through in previous parliamentary sittings.
It has been described as having a "jail intensive emphasis."

The omnibus bill includes the former Bill C-4, which will increase
imprisonment for youth by expanding the list of crimes for which they
can be incarcerated - a move that ignores our understanding of youth
cognitive and moral development, as well as our commitment to decrease
youth incarceration.

It will also include the former Bill S-10, which will again increase
the use of mandatory minimum sentences for those convicted of certain
drug crimes. When Bill S-10 was introduced last winter, there was a
massive outcry from medical personnel, academics and community-based
organizations, which all called for a public health approach to
dealing with drug use.

The United States incarcerates more of its citizens per capita than
any other county and it appears our federal government is emulating
its practices. It's a sad irony that we are being taken down the
failed American path when the U.S., in fact, is currently doing away
with mandatory minimum sentences and considering alternatives such as
redirecting non-violent prisoners toward other options than prison.

The movement is led by American conservatives including Newt Gingrich.
These Republican leaders from across the U.S. have launched a "right
on crime" initiative to counter America's history of "tough on crime."
The May 26 issue of The Economist noted these reforms are driven by a
simple factor: Cost.

The reforms are also driven by the U.S. Supreme Court's finding that
increasing the prison population and the resultant overcrowding limits
the effectiveness of medical and mental health care, raising real
fears of prisoner suicide and the lack of proper care.

The potential for similar harms was raised by our provincial
ombudsman, who reported that overcrowding has the potential to lead to
violence, health concerns and a decrease in rehabilitation
programming. It is not hard to imagine the potential for violence in a
prison system that requires you to share your cramped space with six
or more individuals who, like you, have nothing to do because the
classrooms and gymnasium have been taken over to accommodate more prisoners.

In addition, these pieces of legislation disproportionately affect the
poor and members of minority communities.

The Elizabeth Fry Society of Saskatchewan works with and on behalf of
criminalized women. The majority of these women and many criminalized
men pose no threat to the public. We ask why they are imprisoned at
such a devastating cost when other alternatives are available? And why
don't our politicians consider the change in direction taken by
American leaders and ask the same question?