Lowering Federal Prison Standards Is Not A Solution
- by: Care2.com
- recipient: Prime Minister Stephen Harper
Record high prison populations are forcing Canadian officials to bend federal prison standards--sparking violence in the overcrowded cells as inmates continue to pour into a prison system that is in dire need of reform.
Canada's federal government has long-term plans to build more prison cells, but this too little, too late solution is no match for the urgent overpopulation crisis. The issue will only worsen when Canada's tough-on-crime laws go into effect, with a "lock em up and throw away the key" mentality that keeps prison cells full instead of focusing on prevention and rehabilitation.
Placing two inmates in a cell used to be a rare occurrence. Now, it's common, though ill-advised and contradictory to both federal and UN minimum prison standards. Instances of assault have nearly doubled throughout prisons in Canada's Prairie region -- a direct result of "double-bunking."
Urge Canada to respond to its prison population crisis with reform, not excessive jail time!
Dear Prime Minister Stephen Harper,
The imminent population issues plaguing Canada's prisons can't be solved by extra prison cells. Instead of investing in costly and inadequate cell construction, I urge you to begin prison reform to bolster the system's efficiency permanently.
Double-bunking not only directly results in increased violence and assault, but contradicts prison laws put in place to protect both workers and inmates. The Corrections and Conditional Release Act is not an option, it's a mandatory federal standard that shouldn't be breached--even in desperation.
It's time to work with Canada's parliament to create legislative change that will alter the severity of inmate sentences, increase the efficacy of criminal rehabilitation, and focus on crime prevention.
[Your comments will be inserted here.]
Stop jeopardizing the safety of inmates and workers by violating federal prison standards. Canada's inmate overpopulation crisis can't be solved by new beds, just new policies.
Sincerely,
[Your name here]
