I appreciate that. I know there are significant rehabilitation plans to support those people who need rehabilitation within the prison systems. But I believe that people are going to prison because they do pose a risk to Canadians, to the general population, and that they therefore pose a risk to the prison guards as they go through the rehabilitation process. I appreciate your enlightening this committee that the people who are being sent to prison are threats to your membership and would be threats to Canadians outside the prison system if they were released.
The testimony we heard at our last meeting was that the vast majority of inmates today are non-violent. I think you and your membership would be best positioned to assess the risk that people incarcerated in Canada pose today.
You talk about your desire for pay increases and how this is unfolding.
You question the opportunity for reducing overtime hours. It is important to note that the department and Mr. Head explained that the efforts being undertaken today have yielded significant and real savings. It is not hypothetical. There's an opportunity for savings. In fact, he unveiled for this committee significant savings. Millions and millions of dollars have already been saved as a result of the better management of people's schedules. It is important that your membership is aware of that, and that Canadians are aware that there is an effort being made to better manage the resources. I know your membership will be supportive of that as it affects their lives on a daily basis. When we talk about the savings that would result from overtime savings, it is not hypothetical. It has actually been undertaken, and there is real evidence for it.