Public Safety Committee on Feb. 9th, 2012

Evidence of meeting #23 for Public Safety and National Security in the 41st Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was treatment.

A recording is available from Parliament.

On the agenda

Electronic Monitoring

MPs speaking

Alexandrine Latendresse

Ryan Leef

Also speaking

Mike Nellis Emeritus Professor, Criminal and Community Justice, University of Strathclyde, School of Law, As an Individual

James Bonta Director, Corrections Research Unit, Department of Public Safety

5:25 p.m.

Director, Corrections Research Unit, Department of Public Safety

Dr. James Bonta

I'm sorry.

I'm listening to the English and your French, but I prefer to speak in English so I don't mix things up too much. I can understand 80% of what you're saying.

In our study, they were not pilot projects. The B.C. project was a large program and had approximately 300 people in it on any given day. In Saskatchewan it was a regular province-wide thing run by the courts, and it was the same with Newfoundland.

These were normal, operational projects. We were approached by the provinces and asked to look at them and evaluate them to see if what they were doing was worthwhile. That's how we got into doing that evaluation.

They were full-fledged programs. They weren't pilots.

5:25 p.m.

NDP

Sylvain Chicoine NDP Châteauguay—Saint-Constant, QC

You said that they weren't pilot projects. Are the electronic surveillance programs ongoing? Are they still currently taking place?

5:25 p.m.

Director, Corrections Research Unit, Department of Public Safety

Dr. James Bonta

Okay, I think I better understand the question. You're asking if we still having pilots being run.

As I mentioned earlier, seven provinces have electronic monitoring programs. They are not pilots; they officially decided to introduce these programs.

The only recent pilot program was the one run by the Correctional Service of Canada a couple of years ago. That was the only pilot program. The then Minister Stockwell Day announced they were going to test it out to see if it worked, and they did a pilot project in the Ontario region. It wasn't across the country.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

Thank you very much, Mr. Chicoine.

I see that our time is just about up, although according to the clock on the wall we have a minute.

Mr. Norlock, do you want to try...?

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

Rick Norlock Conservative Northumberland—Quinte West, ON

The questions can't be answered in a minute.

5:25 p.m.

Conservative

The Chair Conservative Kevin Sorenson

All right.

Thank you very much, Mr. Bonta, for attending here today and for your information.

Again, I would welcome any other evidence you may want to provide to our committee. You've referenced a number of different works that they will try to get hold of, and if you could provide other information, we would certainly look forward to it.

Thank you.

The meeting is adjourned.