Thank you, Mr. Chair.
In my riding, there is a municipality called Warwick, where there is an alternative school called Fermentière; it is a farm. There are no prison farms in Quebec. But I would say that the principles applied in those prisons are the same as at Fermentière. It is attended by young people who are 15 to 17 years old. They are not necessarily delinquents, they are young people having trouble learning, who have behavioural problems or lack motivation. This is the kind of young people who go to the farm.
The testimony I am hearing here about prison farms sounds a lot like what is done for those young people. Certainly they are going to learn punctuality, responsibility, autonomy and initiative. And of course they are going to take courses relating to farm work, but also courses in mechanics, cooking and carpentry, and regular courses—mathematics, French and English.
So they are able to come out with a diploma of vocational studies or a diploma of secondary studies, or go on to study at cégep. The school is rather phenomenally successful. The Commission scolaire des Bois-Francs, which operates the farm, is very pleased with the results. So I can make a comparison with the testimony I have heard here.
Mr. Perry, how many years have you been an instructor at a prison farm?