Give Prisoners Keys to Their Cells?
OTTAWA (Reuters) - Get rid of the razor wire around prisons, give most inmates keys to their rooms -- and let them prepare their own meals. A task force appointed by the Canadian government made these recommendations in a report released Tuesday that immediately fuelled the debate over whether Canada is soft on crime. ``We strongly believe that real safety is not achieved through the construction of traditional cell blocks with long ranges, barriers and armed posts," the report said. That resulted in a charge in Parliament from Myron Thompson of the opposition Reform Party that the Liberal Party minister responsible for prisons, Solicitor-General Lawrence MacAulay, was more concerned with appearances than with public safety. ``Why is he turning our penal institutions into summer camps, and our guards into camp counselors?" Thompson demanded. The recommendations have not been adopted, although many minimum-security prisoners already have keys to their living units. ``Public safety's always the No. 1 issue in our federal penal institutions, and will continue to be," MacAulay responded, adding he had not seen the report.My Sardonic Thoughts
- I should hope they aren't being adopted.
- We always see task forces spending tons of money to find out something we already knew... Now here's a twist!
