Yes, thank you, Mr. Chair.
First off, I'm a board member with CoSA, Circles of Support and Accountability. I'm also a lawyer. I want to talk just a little bit about what my friend has spoken about, the significance of longer sentences, minimum sentences.
In our system of justice we try to protect the public in a free and democratic society. Those things aren't mutually exclusive. We try to do both. They work together. If we change sentences for mandatory minimums, longer maximums, presumably we do so because there's a need; it's necessary. That necessity is evidentially based. For example, an increase in crime would justify perhaps looking at things differently. We do it because we can achieve the result we want to achieve, which is the reduction of crime and the protection of the public.
We don't do things that don't work, because it costs money, and if it doesn't achieve the result, it's not effective. Otherwise, we risk the potential for restricting an individual's liberty for nothing, and potentially, if they're incarcerated longer and we don't do anything else, we risk the possibility of increasing their risk to the public, if they don't get counselling and rehabilitation and other measures to protect the public.
I put those out there as concerns to think about. I know they're perhaps on the other side of the agenda.
Mr. Sullivan mentioned CoSA, our organization. I sit on the board. In addition to punitive measures and whatever controls that parole, when it's applicable, has, individuals are often.... As you might know, they're gated. They complete their entire sentence, especially those who commit very serious sexual offences. There's a gap there in the community. There's a gap in seeing them connected to the community in a positive way, connected with services they need, counselling they need, to the stability that they need. An unstable former sex offender is not a safe thing for the community.
Rather than invest money in longer sentences, for the very reason that Mr. Sullivan said, to increase the sentence by six months or a year, and think that you're really going to achieve greater protection for the public, the money could be better spent—my money—or real consideration should be given to, supporting programs like CoSA.
I'm going to ask Susan to say a couple of brief words about what we do specifically.