B.C. shackled with private-prison experiment
The Tories started their tough on crime agenda a few years. It hasn't fully come to pass yet, but certain parts are effective at this time:
Even though the Conservatives' plan has yet to be fully legislated, penitentiary costs this year have soared to $2.98 billion from $1.6 billion
in 2005-06 - an 87-per-cent increase.
Read more: www.edmontonjournal.com...
Those are all federal costs, provincial costs are separate:
Providing cells for the additional inmates that the Conservative crime policies will bring is B.C.'s $1.1-billion problem, according to a report
released last year by parliamentary budget officer Kevin Page.
Read more: www.edmontonjournal.com...
Solution?
One solution for cash-strapped B.C. is private prisons.
This week, it finalized its agreement with a consortium led by Brookfield Financial Corp. to finance, build and maintain the $90-million, 216-cell
Surrey Remand Centre for 30 years.
The security aspects, including the guards, will continue to be the government's responsibility.
Still, the government's press release says Brookfield will "deliver numerous innovations in design and surveillance, providing a safer operating
environment for staff and inmates."
The company is a subsidiary of Brookfield Asset Management, which manages $150-billion worth of assets globally.
Read more: www.edmontonjournal.com...
History lesson?
Canada's only experiment with a private prison ended badly in 2006 when the Ontario government took back the Central North Correctional Centre in
Penetanguishene from Management and Training Corp.
Read more: www.edmontonjournal.com...
3 Billion dollars might not seem like a lot of money to people from larger countries, but Canada only has just over 30 million. And when you average
it out the cost to household, it is just under $300 per household.
StatsCan 11.5 million households
So what's the big deal? $300 to keep the criminals locked up, who cares right?
Well, the unfortunate thing is that anger and emotion don't have a basis in reality. While there are definitely people that will end up in jail
throughout their lives, it doesn't mean they should be there for extended periods of time.
When they are gone, someone has to pick up the slack in taking care of their families, etc. Their kids need guidance or they may end up with their own
troubles. The list goes on and on.
And of course, no matter how much people hate the black market trade. It does inject liquidity into the marketplace. Ironically, probably more-so than
if you purchase something from a multinational corporation.
So, with almost doubling the prison costs, not even completing the agenda yet, talk of private prisons coming in....It looks like there is a new kind
of biz in town.
