Summary: A Plague Of Prisons

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The Harper regime, after gaining a majority vote recently, has been particularly aggressive in trying to push a controversial and suspicious agenda. The government has decided to place public safety and statistical data secondary to their political schematics, attempting to pass a heavily opposed omnibus anti-crime bill. The changes outlined in the new proposed ‘Tory Crime Bill” have been subject to extensive criticism and debate. Sparked by discussion and articles from numerous scholars, the reproach is due to the various laws that the bill wishes to enact, ones which are arguably leading the nation in the opposite direction. A series of publications on the topic were compiled by notable figures in Canadian Criminology, Edward Greenspan…show more content…
With New Brunswick on board, the East now has a major player in the discussions, although it might not matter with the robust opposition from both Quebec and Ontario. Either way, the provinces are set to pay dearly if the bill passes because not only does it affect immediate enforcement and prison costs, but there are also many long term effects that are being overlooked. An epidemiology professor recently authored a book titled A Plague of Prisons, analyzing the physical and social effects of mass incarceration, something which has been abundant in the United States. Housing less than 5% of the world’s population, the United States is also home to over 25% of the world’s prisoners. In his book, Drucker outlines how over-imprisonment can leave lingering effects on society. He explains that beyond direct monetary effects (ie. increased costs of policing and prisons), the more harmful effects are the prolonged ones and also the ones that go…show more content…
But beyond all this is the fact that where does the money come from now? In the past, the government has been hasty in making cuts where necessary, and they usually come at a great expense; that of our youth and our elders. Where do cuts primarily take place? Past events show us that education and the healthcare industry has always been the primary target for funding cuts. Furthermore, social program budgets will also be drastically decreased if the bill is enacted. It’s ironic because the motives and the results seem to negate each other. With public safety and security as a priority, educating youth to keep them out of the prison system should be the primary goal. Providing healthcare professionals who can educate about proper effects and side effects of illicit drug use, which has proven to work, should be another measure. The funding which the government proposes we spend on tougher enforcement and longer, harsher prison terms could mean a much better education and healthcare system, and greater social benefit
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