Very well. That is fine.
I was also pleased to hear you and Mr. Head say that there has been an increase in the prison population. According to the documents obtained by the Globe and Mail through access to information, the prison population's increase would be closer to 7% per year. Furthermore, a certain number of bills have been brought forward, for example Bill C-10. However, in your opening statemen, as well as the announcement you made on April 19th, you mentioned the closure of Kingston Penitentiary and the Leclerc Institution, which is located in Laval, in my riding. You also mentioned that you do not intend to build new prisons. To my mind, that is clear proof of a lack of planning on the part of the department.
It is also no surprise to learn that inmates in Canada’s federal prisons sometimes sleep in trailers, in interview rooms and in gymnasiums, while the percentage of inmates sharing cells designed for one person has nearly doubled over the course of three years. We are also witnessing an increase in the violence inside penal institutions.
Mr. Minister, how can your department ensure the safety of corrections officers and of inmates in these circumstances?