Your Community Is About To Become Safer; Just Ask A Pedophile (or Justice Minister)

Not content to rest on the laurels of his sweeping majority, Prime Minister Harper has decided to raise Canada's profile and become involved in the Institution Industry. This Industry, led by the Big Three of Russia, South Africa, and the undisputed king, America (I guess it's still good to be #1 at something?) seeks to throw as many people in jail as is possible. This of course is never the stated goal, especially with our esteemed Southern neighbours; no, the stated goal is the "safety" of it's citizens. The fact that there is an almost inestimable drain on society in so many different areas is irrelevant; you are safer, whether you know it or not (in the US, they likely don't for some strange reason; as their incarceration rates go up, crime seems to as well, and in case we haven't noticed from the woeful decline of American literacy rates--especially amongst inner-city children--society seems to be decaying at a mortifying rate. I guess they just don't get it down there). We in Canada have started to take notice of the great American Prison Institution, and the Government that has sought to protect you from all manner of evil with it's increased phone and internet surveillance is now about to bring you it's take on public safety: the Safe Street and Communities Act.

First, a bit about the cost:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/the-cost-of-one-conservative-crime-bill-for-one-year-458-million/article2181685/
(I have read various estimates on cost; this seemed the lowest of them. After all, I want to give my leaders the benefit of the doubt).

How will Canadians afford this? Easy...as the new prisons get built, more jobs in Corrections surface. And of course, in order to justify those prisons and jobs, more people will be incarcerated than ever. Of course, this is just the start:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/sweeping-conservative-crime-bill-only-the-beginning/article2173915/

Which, of course will lead to even more of this for those who work in the justice system:
http://www.theprovince.com/news/Federal+crime+legislation+strain+burdened+courts/5428399/story.html
and then this for those who live and work inside the walls:

http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Overcrowding+gangs+causing+increase+Canadian+prison+violence+report/5133695/story.html

Odd, even the people who stand to profit nicely from this can see the stupidity of it:

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/lawyers-attack-harpers-tough-on-crime-agenda/article2129321/
Perhaps because of his recent stay in some of America's finest institutions, His Lordship even understands the futility of it:

http://fullcomment.nationalpost.com/2011/02/19/conrad-black-the-case-against-being-dumb-on-crime/

Now, I am not one to often tout "International Observers." but when someone is right, they are right:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/national/time-to-lead/time-to-lead-archives/canadas-youth-crime-plans-bewilder-international-observers/article2102822/
Add to this: get used to it kiddies. Mr. Nicholson clearly has stated that he is wanting to go after youth crime especially.

And of course, my 2 favourites:
http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/crime-falls-to-1973-levels-as-tories-push-for-sentencing-reform/article2104745/
http://www.nationalpost.com/todays-paper/growers+face+more+jail+than+rapists/5445669/story.html
That's right folks, despite an acknowledged almost 40 year low in crime, the Conservative Government has decided--at an estimated minimum cost of $2.1 B over the next 4 years--to make you safer from a pot-head hippie then a pedophile (hence the inspiration for my title).

In their attempt to leave no stone unturned as they race to incarcerate as many non-violent offenders as possible, The Harper Government has taken the enlightened step of relieving judges of the tedium of reviewing cases with any kind of vigour or diligence, hence the inclusion of minimum mandatory sentencing. Now of course, a judge who has no doubt been appointed to do just that--judge--need not strain himself too much in deciding the difference between an individual who may be growing some 7 (seven!) pot plants in their basement to combat the onset of pain for cancer, and a first time offender who happened to get caught trafficking crack cocaine. The cancer patient gets 6 months; the crack dealer 1 year. Read that again: if you haven't taken the time to get a license (from of course, the government), there is a 6 month difference between getting caught with a drug that studies show helps decrease chronic pain in many patients suffering from a wide variety of illnesses, and selling crack. (For a run-down of the new mandatory sentencing see: http://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/news-nouv/nr-cp/2009/doc_32339.html).

Unfortunately, despite their zeal to incarcerate as many people as possible, the overburdened judicial system will only be able to do so much; and this is where the real tragedies will start. The trends will undoubtedly shift to an even greater incarceration rate amongst those with mental health issues:
http://www.cmha.bc.ca/files/2-criminalization.pdf

http://www.ontario.cmha.ca/justice.asp
Many drug users have mental issues of some sort that have led to their addictions; as this bill especially targets non-violent drug users, there can be little doubt that the greatest number of new prisoners will come from this segment of society. In other words, as both CMHA documents show, an even more unbearable burden will be placed on a prison system that is already incapable of handling those who are least likely to hurt anyone but themselves.

Welcome to the Brave New Crime-Free Canada, courtesy of Stephen Harper, Rob Nicholson and of course, the Safe Streets And Communities Act.