[Newsbot]

Title: Feds' controversial crime bills will cost $19 billion
Category: Law & Order
Posted By: Curtman
Date: 2011-12-09 12:53:00
Canadian

[Curtman]

$1:

The study, by the Quebec Institute for Socio-economic Research and Information (IRIS), also notes the provinces are expected to shoulder the majority of the extra costs associated with the legislation, which it estimates at $14 billion.
...
The costs associated with the omnibus Bill C-10 � providing for mandatory prison sentences for drug-related crimes and child sex offenders � are estimated by the researchers at $2.3 billion.
...
a report by the parliamentary budget officer that said it will cost $1 billion a year for five years to implement C-25, which came into effect last year.
...
At parliamentary hearings into C-10 in October, Nicholson said his government doesn't have a breakdown of the costs associated with the legislation for each province.
...
Quebec and Ontario have already said they won't pay for the added cost of locking up more people, which requires building more jails.

They don't have any idea how much this will costs the provinces, and they won't provide any information about how this will actually reduce crime. So who gets the bill if the provinces refuse to pay?

[Proculation]

Justice is the basic role of a government. The cost should be a non-issue. Cut the programs that the state should not be in.

[Dragon-Dancer]

Like? Provincial budgets are already pretty tight in most provinces.

[Bruce_E_T]

$1:

Quebec and Ontario have already said they won't pay for the added cost of locking up more people, which requires building more jails

Entirely justified, in my opinion. Possibly in areas where crime rates are higher this is useful but just coming up with a carpet scheme leaving others to pat the bill is not. If the two larger provinces refuse to play along the project may be doomed.

[OnTheIce]

$1:

Crime bill will put more natives in prison, chiefs predict

Good news then?

Much better living conditions.

[Lemmy]

Proculation Proculation:

Justice is the basic role of a government. The cost should be a non-issue. Cut the programs that the state should not be in.

While I share some of your libertarian sentiment, what if the "programs that the state should not be in" fall under this Justice bill, such as the prohibition of marijuana? Justice isn't served by enacting and enforcing unjust laws.

[Freakinoldguy]

I don't know how it is in other provinces but here we've got an epidemic of criminals on the streets and for those that won't believe it here's the stats.

$1:

Almost 24,000 adult offenders - 90 per cent of B.C.'s corrections population - served sentences in the community rather than jail in 2010/11. Of those, 74 per cent were considered medium to high-risk to offend, and 40 per cent had committed crimes against people.

http://www.timescolonist.com/Safety+fea ... z1g6OR2aCB

For example:
They just released the guy who stole the rings from a 90 some year old woman who was in the hospital having her leg amputated. The police have been trying to have him declared a habitual criminal but apparently the justice system doesn't think that 78 criminal convictions is enough to base that decision on.

So I guess we should just suck it up and continue to be victims because some of the unwashed masses and media don't like this omnibus bill.

And yes for the record I think the marijuana part of the bill should be changed but, the rest of the bill is better than what we have now and should be revisited every couple of years to ensure that it works the way it was intended.

[Freakinoldguy]

And for people who are interested the CBC posted a story awhile back that put the Bill's main points in condensed form with a Government backgrounder.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/201 ... ation.html

[ShepherdsDog]

Non violent offenders don't really need to be locked up. Only those who pose a danger to themselves and the public, really need to be incarcerated. the others can serve house arrest and community service/terms of indentured servitude to make restitution.

[Lemmy]

Only violent offenders or habitual offenders should go to prison. I agree with stiffer sentences for violent offenders, but this bill casts much too wide a net.

[Thanos]

Proculation Proculation:

Justice is the basic role of a government. The cost should be a non-issue. Cut the programs that the state should not be in.

Strangely enough I entirely agree with you, especially your second sentence. The only problem I have is that you'll go all Randian on me and then say that "cut the programs that the state should not be in" literally means "everything else".

[Thanos]

OnTheIce OnTheIce:

$1:

Crime bill will put more natives in prison, chiefs predict

Good news then?

Much better living conditions.

Sadly enough it's already a wintertime tradition for too many of them. Do enough petty crime in autumn to get locked up all winter and then released in time for the warmer spring weather.

[bootlegga]

Proculation Proculation:

Justice is the basic role of a government. The cost should be a non-issue. Cut the programs that the state should not be in.

Too bad the Conservatives have cut taxes so much they can't even afford the programs they have now - nevermind billions more for this.

[Jack Phast]

The bill is absolute nonsense. Sending people to prison doesn't make us safer. Those sent to prison come out more hardened criminals who are more disenfranchised and are more likely to recommit a crime. Spend money on rehabilitation and prevention, rather than on imprisonment.