Mr. Bernard Richard at the Justice and Human Rights Committee

I work right across Canada; I have colleagues across Canada. I'm not just a child advocate, but also an ombudsman, or "protecteur du citoyen". My field unfortunately extends from the cradle to the grave. But, since there is a shortage of mental health services—that was clearly established by Mr. Sapers as well in the case of the federal prisons—there are increasing numbers of inmates suffering from mental health problems in our prisons. The findings are clear: we are unable to offer the services they need, as a result of which they reoffend.