Pubdate: Wed, 14 Mar 2012 Source: StarPhoenix, The (CN SN) Copyright: 2012 The StarPhoenix Contact: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/letters.html Website: http://www.canada.com/saskatoonstarphoenix/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/400 Author: Angela Hall, Leader-Post CRIME BILL COSTS STILL UNKNOWN TO 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 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. - --- MAP posted-by: Richard R Smith Jr.