We know that approximately 80% of the people who arrive at a federal or provincial prison have some addiction issues, so interdiction inside or abstinence inside doesn't necessarily lead to any behavioural change. One of the things we advocate is that environmental change is key; that's why volunteers are so important. But a larger environmental change would be more effective in leading to that change.
Visitors to the women's prisons are not as common as they are to the men's prisons, as you probably know. With the men's prisons the intimidation factor of having to move through a prison system in itself is going to be a bit debilitating. It's a frightening place with lots of people and strange gates and various things. So adding other interdiction requirements could be a negative factor for visitors. I think there are some—the X-ray machines and various things that we're all used to. As one of the other speakers said, we expect them in the airport or whatever. But anything that is more intrusive, especially for children or young women, could be a bit of a deterrent.
We strongly believe that family engagement, where at all possible, is really important. A father figure or children reuniting is really key in the rehabilitation of an individual, and we do run some father-son programs and some mother-daughter programs to facilitate that. A young man who has a son, who is willing to say this stops with him, it doesn't go to his child, is a very powerful influence in behaviour modification for him and for that family. So we really encourage the family visits and we really encourage trying to link those families or role model families as best as possible. Anything that would deter visits we would find problematic. I think it would be a very good area of study to survey and poll to see how people are reacting to those activities at the prison gate.