Mr. Speaker, the Minister of Public Safety has stated that double-bunking prisoners in cells designed for one person is appropriate.
However, his own Commissioner of Correctional Service Canada says that double-bunking is not correctionally sound. This practice also contravenes international standards that Canada has pledged to observe.
Overcrowding in jails poses a serious problem to both inmates and guards. It raises tensions, threatens the safety of correctional staff and makes rehabilitation more difficult, especially for those with mental illness.
Could the Minister of Public Safety please explain to Canadians how double-bunking prisoners will make Canadians safer?