Prime Minister Stephen Harper has strategically planned to take society’s disadvantaged and warehouse them into our already overcrowded prisons, stripping them of their right to become productive members of society, and further endangering the safety of Canadian citizens.
Many of society’s offenders commit their crimes as a result of poverty, homelessness, developmental delays, mental illnesses and addictions. Most come from abusive environments and need help in establishing themselves to meet the demands of society’s expectations. Prisons do nothing but stand in the way of this.
As our government quickly attempts to rush through a crime bill that has proven to be both ineffective and costly, Harper continues to make his claim that Canadians support his “tough on crime” laws, yet tens of thousands across the country are publicly demanding their province refuse to pay for it.
Quebec and Ontario have already refused to pay for a strategy that has been tried and failed, and continue to focus their efforts on reducing crime through prevention and rehabilitation.
We need to make Canada safer, not meaner. We need to address the real root of crime by reducing inequality and supporting those who are in desperate need of help.
Bernadette Fuhrmann
South Slocan