Pubdate: Wed, 14 Mar 2012
Source: Regina Leader-Post (CN SN)
Copyright: 2012 The Leader-Post Ltd.
Contact: http://www.leaderpost.com/opinion/letters/letters-to-the-editor.html
Website: http://www.leaderpost.com/
Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/361
Author: Angela Hall

CRIME BILL COSTS UNKNOWN: PROVINCE

A newly passed federal crime bill might land more people in 
Saskatchewan's already crowded correctional facilities but it's too 
soon to know what extra spending might be required as a result of the 
law, Saskatchewan Justice Minister Don Morgan says.

The Conservative government's omnibus crime bill passed in the House 
of Commons on Monday, prompting renewed calls of concern from Quebec 
and Ontario about the tab that provincial taxpayers will have to foot 
for the federal anti-crime initiatives.

The provincial NDP also voiced concerns at the legislature Tuesday, 
questioning why the Saskatchewan Party government is unable to 
provide an estimate of what the new measures will cost the province.

"The fact that the minister can't even provide a ballpark when it 
comes to the cost of the federal Conservative crime bill we find to 
be pretty hard to believe," said corrections, public safety and 
policing critic Warren McCall.

Called the Safe Streets and Communities Act, Bill C-10 brings 
together nine pieces of legislation. The law will usher in several 
changes, including mandatory minimum penalties for certain serious 
drug offences, restrictions on the use of conditional sentences or 
"house arrest" and the elimination of pardons for serious crimes.

The federal government has said the bill would also simplify 
pre-trial detention so that violent and repeat young offenders could 
be kept off the streets while awaiting trial.

Morgan said it's impossible to make a realistic assessment of costs 
and rejected the estimates put forward in some other provinces.

It will take time to see how judges apply the new rules to know what 
the cost impact on the province will be, he said.

Many people incarcerated under the new rules would have been 
sentenced to serve time anyway, he said.

But Morgan acknowledged that the number of people incarcerated is 
"certainly not going to go down" as a result of the new measures.

"Our correctional facilities are certainly at or above the max right 
now. We're looking at options to try to increase our capacity," 
Morgan told reporters.

"This is certainly not something that is going to make it easier for 
us to deal with. But having said that, the people that we want to see 
incarcerated are the dangerous offenders that prey on our society."

The province supports the purpose of the bill, and many of the items 
it contains were requested by the provinces, Morgan said.

Morgan added there were also cost concerns in the wake of a previous 
move by the federal government to eliminate two-for-one credit for 
time served in remand before trial, but he said those concerns 
haven't come to pass.

"Now I'm not saying that it's going to happen with this one but the 
(cost) estimates are all over and we're looking at different 
scenarios. It's not a matter that we're not looking at it, it's just 
a matter we can't accurately predict. We're not going to speculate," 
Morgan said.
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MAP posted-by: Jay Bergstrom