Mr. Speaker, some of the community workers in my riding consistently gave me really interesting figures. For example, for every $5 invested in prevention, there is $95 spent incarcerating an individual.
There is nobody in this House who does not agree with stiff sentences for people who harm children. There is nobody who does not agree with stiff sentences for people who take people's lives. In my riding, a mother lost her son to three young individuals who beat him to death. My heart goes out to her. For her, justice needs to be served.
However, we are talking about people who grow a little pot and are thrown in prison for a year and a half. Prison can be a very scary place, but it can be a very educational place. After that year and a half when those young people get out, they are hurt, they are bitter, they are messed up and they will take that out on society.
I would like my hon. colleague to comment on how this helps keep crime off the streets by creating better criminals.