reed writes » Blog Archive » Kingston Calls on Harper to Keep Prison Farms Open
24 Jun10

Kingston Calls on Harper to Keep Prison Farms Open

“This government is clearly out of touch with the majority of Canadians,”

(Kingston City Councillor – Rob Matheson, who sponsored the June 15 motion.)

This issue is not about politics, it’s about common sense, logic, rationality and human decency, all of which appear to be in short supply at the HQ of the General Harper forces.

  • Recidivism at our prison farms is much lower than in the regular system.
  • More and better rehabilitation takes place.
  • The farms supply fresh, wholesome produce to the prison system.
  • Prisoners get fresh air, exercise, discipline and responsibility, all of which lower the chances of re-offending.

Excellent skills such as animal husbandry, welding, machinery repair are taught and are marketable outside the prison system.

And yet despite all this and a great deal more, the Harper Conservatives are plowing ahead with the destruction of these farms.

And they are doing it against the wishes of Canadians, against common sense and against the advice of both correctional officers and experts in law enforcement.

Check out this report from the City of Kingston.

By: Jim

Filed as: Asides and Musings, Canadian Politics and Politicians, Current Affairs
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3

Responses to “Kingston Calls on Harper to Keep Prison Farms Open”

James Woollatt
June 25th, 2010 at 7:28 am

Jim,

I must say, I read pretty much everything you post here and I reply very infrequently. I very much appreciate that you are always up on so many things political, politics that impact me and where I live for the most part.

If it wasn’t for you, I would see/hear very little on this Prison Farm issue. It truly is appalling that Harper sees to close the Prison Farms where as you have pointed out many times, does a soul good, particularly in rehabilitation. His solution (the final solution?) to spend 10 billion dollars to create ‘merican-style Super Max Prisons is disgusting. Their “get tough” attitude will create great breeding grounds for educating minor criminals into very good criminals. The Prison Farms actually give self-worth to the majority of these prisoners.

Harper, and his government make no sense on most issues, but this one in particular is most outrageous.

It is a most unfortunate position that the opposition lets him rule like he has a majority.

Thanks Jim!

Cheers
JAmes

Mike Smith
June 25th, 2010 at 9:50 am

Jim: I found an article in Macleans.ca http://www2.macleans.ca/2009/04/10/canada-to-shut-down-all-prison-farms/ with quotes from Christa McGregor of Correction Services Canada that the skills that the inmates learn on these farms don’t seem to be useful when they get out.

I agree with you that recidivism is probably the most important number to look at.

If the closing down of the prison farms was related to new training programs for vehicle mechanics, carpentry etc. then maybe it is worthwhile because I believe that having a good job is probably the biggest factor in recidivism.

But if they are closing down the farms simply to sell the land for $2 Million then the decision is despicable.

Jim
June 25th, 2010 at 8:34 pm

Thanks James…although many people think I’m a one-issue wonder, I do think about other things on occasion

I hope this will answer both your comment and Mike’s.

The best skill that a criminal can learn…the one that will best help him or her to adjust to regular life on the outside, and make life safer for the rest of us…is the skill to be a better, more whole person.

As for the job training side…there are literally tens of thousands of jobs available in the landscaping business. So a slight adjustment in the curriculum to include landscaping would be very useful.

The sale of the farms is not to make money…it’s to make room for a tripling of our inmate population over the next several years. The new Harper policies on mandatory sentencing and the serious criminalization of marijuana possession is expected to increase the prison population by 50-75%, at least.

Both Ignatieff and Layton have been less than enthusiastic in defence of the farms. Neither wishes to be seen as “soft” on crime.

Personally, I’d rather not be viewed as “soft” in the head.

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