TUESDAY, 23 NOVEMBER 2010 LETTER TO THE EDITOR
http://www.lethbridgeherald.com/letters-to-the-editor/prison-farms-would-be-ideal-for-rehabilitation-112310.html
Re " Prison climate needs changing " (editorial, Nov. 10). Clearly, the Harper government places rehabilitation way down the list of priorities as stated by Correctional Investigator Howard Sapers. The majority of prisoners will return to society, so it's in our best interest that they return able to fit in.
Further, you might think that, with the majority of his caucus from rural Canada, Harper would be more receptive to the idea that working on a farm is good rehabilitation. Sadly, not. Last February, Harper announced the closure of all six of Canada's prison farms, one of which is in Alberta; others are across Canada. This decision and associated comments about farming should anger southern Albertans, particularly farmers.
Activists have been protesting the closure, arguing that the farms act as a necessary and successful method of rehabilitation for low-risk criminal offenders. According to NDP MP Alex Atamanenko, these farm programs "have received support from local police and municipalities as well as trade unions, farm groups and food security advocates." There's even a website devoted to opposing the closure: www.saveourfarms.ca/about.html .
The decision surprisingly resulted in a column in the National Post (Aug. 11, 2010), a paper that regularly supports the Conservatives. The Post said the government's main arguments in favour of closing the farms are lack of benefits and costs to taxpayers. However, the Post stated that neither justification holds up to scrutiny. They asked how much will it cost to replace the food they produce, what other rehabilitative programs will replace the program, and what will they cost?
"Minister Van Loan has made various claims in an attempt to support the farm closures," said John Edmunds, National President of the Union of Solicitor General Employees (USGE). "Claims that the farms lose approximately $4M per year is an unsubstantiated number. We've asked for a forensic audit to be performed, but have yet to receive a reply to our request."
Small farms, local businesses and charities all rely on their local prison farms to provide them with quality food at fair prices, as well as persons willing and wanting to be trained.
Canada's prison farms sit on some of the most desirable agricultural land in their regions. What's most upsetting is that the Conservatives plan to build more prisons on this prime agricultural land perhaps to house Stockwell Day's "perpetrators of crimes"?
Mark Sandilands
NDP candidate, Lethbridge Federal Riding
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