Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this final opportunity.
I would like to reiterate that because the American violent crime and homicide rates have fallen so drastically, we must imagine that they are doing something right. The research that I have shown demonstrates that there is solid proof that imprisonment reduces the homicide rate, reduces the violent crime rate—imprisonment for whatever serious crime.
Many of the prisoners have been in prison for things other than homicide or violent crime. This is talking about imprisonment in state and federal institutions in numbers. This suggests that imprisonment is not a failure, it is a way to protect the public. I can see why a judge or even a defendant might see prison as a failure, but if our goal and our focus is on protecting the public, imprisonment might well help all Canadians.
Thank you.