Three minutes.
Matt's family couldn't cope with his behaviour. Ultimately, Matt left his family home and went to Vancouver. Under the influence of drugs he committed a crime. He was found fit to stand trial, was not found “not criminally responsible”—which would have directed him to a mental health facility--and was incarcerated. Matt was a difficult prisoner, often violent, and did significant time in isolation. He did not receive mental health or addiction support. On release, Matt returned to his family, who committed him to hospital as a danger to himself and others. The hospital could not cope. Matt was delusional and required medication, and he was ultimately placed in a regional facility. However, in that 10-year period, none of his addiction or mental health issues were addressed.
While the current focus on elimination of drugs from the prisons is important and appropriate, we also need to ensure that mental health and substance abuse issues underlying the criminal behaviour of those like Matt is also addressed. Integrated programming and behavioural changes are needed to address the integrated needs of prisoners. The federal government has had an integrated five-year project at Grande Cache--there was a public report on this, although it didn't address substance abuse specifically. I understand there are federal pilots running in British Columbia and the Atlantic that move from a mini-course approach to an integrated approach, and we encourage that.
I will conclude with the recommendations we have: concurrent focus on mental health challenges of offenders with alcohol abuse and interdiction; delivery of integrated programs to address these issues; continuation of direction on sentences for substance abuse and mental health; allocation of resources to existing prisons for holistic programming; an extension of the Grande Cache or other similar facility for integrated needs of offenders; and reduction of the cost of incarceration by addressing substance abuse, mental health, and rehabilitation with alternative incarceration through communities of restoration.