Mr. Speaker, we are listening on this side of the House. Hopefully our constituents are listening at home as well.
I appreciate the hon. member's comments about Bill C-37, the reforms to the Young Offenders Act. He said that if we had any suggestions he would welcome them and that we should bring them forward to the government. We have been trying to do that at every opportunity in the debate on the Young Offenders Act and the specific bill.
It is high time young people who commit violent repeat offences are held accountable. We talk about that often. We should quit blaming society, family or peer pressure for their crimes; they have to be held accountable.
I wrote down from the hon. member's speech that he does not believe incarceration and rough treatment are the answer. Some people would differ when it comes to repeat offenders and offenders who commit horrendous violent crimes.
I would like to refer to a newspaper article and ask the hon. member if he would agree with this type of treatment and indicate whether it has some potential in Canada. I refer to an article about the Toulson Boot Camp in Maryland, U.S.A., which states:
Offenders between the ages of 17 and 25, sentenced to five years or less, can sign up for the six-month boot camp program at Toulson. And then you're home-free on parole.
The program at Toulson is modelled on the U.S. Marines' boot camps and about half the instructors are former marines. It emphasizes discipline and accountability.
So lifting a log isn't about lifting a log. It's about teamwork and overcoming adversity.
And moving a rock pile isn't just moving rocks. It's about being responsible for your actions and putting effort into work.
Toulson is a little different than other American boot camps, however.
That's because, in addition to the strict military regime and physical training, inmates also get job training, schooling (more than 70 per cent receive their high school equivalency diploma before they leave) and strictly supervised probation.
Boot camps without such measures find 50 to 70 per cent of their ex-cons end up back in the clink-the same rate as for conventional U.S. prisons where inmates can do whatever they want all day.
According to statistics compiled by Toulson officials, only 20 per cent of inmates released from the boot camp have reoffended.
In light of those statistics-he has asked for suggestions-would that perhaps be something that Canada should be looking at to put some of the violent repeat offenders into a structure such as that one and hopefully we would have a better success rate than we have had in our rehabilitation programs of the past?