YOUR VOTE MATTERS on May 2 - First Nation people to be impacted most with more jails
From Canadian Harm Reduction Network facebook page
YOUR VOTE MATTERS
by Canadian Harm Reduction Network
April 22, 2011
An election primer from the Canadian Harm Reduction Network
The Canadian Federal election is due 2 May 2011, and it is important that you vote! Allowing the present Conservative regime to carry on is toxic to harm reduction on a number of fronts.
The “tough on crime” agenda of the current Conservative government has resulted in billions of dollars being diverted from social services that actually do reduce crime. About 80% of offenders arrive in Federal Corrections with a substance problem, but treatment is funded only at about 1/200 of the amount earmarked for policing illegal drug use and for associated Corrections. Dr. Justin Piche (2010) has estimated that prison expansion in Canada will cost almost $3 billion for the construction of 6,590 more beds. This initial cost will be followed by ongoing operating costs estimated to run to an additional $349 million yearly. The same yearly amount spent on education would bring free tuition each year for 5,000 students enrolled in 1 university in each province or territory. Dr. David Butler-Jones, Canada’s Chief Public Health Officer, estimates that every $1 spent in a person’s early years saves $9 on future spending in health, welfare, and justice: A stitch in time saves nine.
Kevin Page (2010), Parliamentary Budget Officer, estimates that, with implementation of the new Bill C-25, the “Truth in Sentencing” Act (that reduces credit for time served in jail before sentencing), an additional 4,189 cells will be needed at an estimated cost of $500,000 each. Presently, the Provincial penal system accommodates 23,025 Canadians at any given time while the Federal system has 13,304 inmates with 7,036 in community supervision. The new law brought in by the Conservatives will increase those imprisoned to 17,058 people federally with 9,021 in community supervision. The Provincial system has roughly double the capacity of the Federal system. The bill for Federal and Provincial prisons together now runs about $4.4 billion yearly and is expected to rise to a price tag of $9.5 billion by 2015 simply as a result of enactment of Bill C-25. Build it and they will come.
Patrick LeSage, former Chief Justice of the Ontario Superior Court, says that the root causes of crime and violence aren’t resolved by putting people in jail. The Conservative platform of “tough on crime” is a costly dead end arising at a time when the crime rate is falling. Despite gruesome reporting, violent crimes have dropped by about ¼ over the last 20 years. The Conservatives further plan to bring in Mandatory Minimum Sentencing (MMS) for a number of offenses, including 6 months time for growing 6 marijuana plants and MMS as well for dealing drugs or the use of weapons. The US has been beating a retreat from MMS for the last 10 years because it doesn’t deter crime even though it costs a great deal.
Imprisonment for marijuana is not the only item on the Conservative agenda. Despite a Hepatitis C rate of 73% among inmates, needle exchange in prisons is still vetoed in spite of evidence that it works well in other countries including Germany, Spain, and Switzerland. The prison authorities usually raise the concern that needles might be turned against guards, but this has simply not been the case in other countries. Similarly, pilots of safer tattooing in prisons have been shut down by the Conservative government. The Conservative government has already moved against Insite, the safer injecting facility in Vancouver, also with the goal of shutting it down. NAOMI, the heroin prescription trial in Vancouver and Montreal is also under threat even though it has shown that those prescribed heroin were twice as likely to continue on treatment as those receiving methadone, those involved in illegal activity fell by ½, and their general health improved by over 25%.
Feel strongly about some of these issues? Protest is likely to meet with a strong police presence, mandated by the Conservative government to contain dissention though the use of force including security fencing, helicopters, mounted officers, riot police, sound grenades, rubber bullets, and tear gas. Is it important to vote? Boy, is it ever! But who to vote for?
About 45% of all Canadians admit to having used marijuana at some time. The Liberals endorse decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana. They stand for a “get smart on crime” agenda that focuses on the root cause of crime. They say that mega-prisons have failed and that Mandatory Minimum Sentencing has already failed in the US. They say they want to be tough on guns, and maintain the gun registry that they say is crucial for public safety. They say they want to take action against violence against people, calling for incarceration for such assault. They want to see better victim services. The Liberals want to model young offenders policy after that of Quebec where rehabilitation is emphasized. They point out that many people who turn to crime have not completed their education, and call for additional supports for education. The Liberals say that if the corporations get tax breaks, it is at the expense of social support. They condemn the Politics of Fear currently used by the Conservatives to exploit voters. And the Liberals call for policy based on evidence, not ideology.
The New Democrats support legalizing marijuana taking and growing for personal use. They wish to prevent crime from happening, and call for programs for young people, such as after-school programs that offer positive things to do. They say they will work to eliminate the precursors to crime through a focus on education, provision of decent housing and clean water, and the elimination of poverty. The NDP say that they would target carjacking, home invasion, and gang recruitment as special issues. They also will shift parliamentary attention to violence against women, and call for more women parliamentarians.
The Greens favor decriminalization of small amounts of marijuana and growing up to 5 plants, together with efforts to discourage marijuana smoking. They call for an increase in corporate taxes, a decrease in military spending, and more economic support for students. They plan to give subsidies for organic farming and disallow draggers for fishing. The Greens plan to fund infrastructure such as public transit, community housing, and recreational facilities.
The Conservatives have been tagged with the line, “jets, jails, and corporate give-aways.” (The price tag for 65 planes for the armed forces is estimated at $29.3 billion.) The Bloc says they’re worried that the Conservatives will move to reintroduce capital punishment. The Conservatives say that it is important that the punishment fits the crime, and say that the Mandatory Minimum Sentencing will target predators and gang members. They take objection to the release into the community of some people who, they say, serve only 1/6 of their sentence before release. They do not wish long guns to be registered as rifles and shotguns, they say, are not used in crimes, so they plan to gut the gun registry. They do say that effective had gun control is needed, but do not say how they plan to accomplish this. The Conservatives vow to introduce an omnibus crime Bill within the first 100 days of parliament resuming, saying that this is what Canadians want. An omnibus Bill typically includes a large number of changes to the law that may go unnoticed because of the welter of issues that may range from highways to drug taking. Only later do people become aware of everything included in the Bill.
In summary, please think over how you can make the best use of your vote. Please do not think that your vote doesn’t matter. It is very important that the government get a strong message, and your vote is your ticket to be heard. Also please encourage your friends and families to carefully consider how their vote might best be cast. If you work in a front-line agency, please try to organize your clients so that they have a chance to make their views known. Not voting is a vote -- for the status quo. Not voting may result in further toxic Conservative policies that have been shown to harm Canadians, such as those covering marijuana, prisons, and the military and in pinched back social services as seen in education, pensions, and health care. Harm reduction is truly good health care.
Please vote for less harm.
Thanks,
Canadian Harm Reduction Network