Public Safety committee  In 2006.

Public Safety committee  Yes. I'm basically providing them with the same tools that people in the community already have.

Public Safety committee  I don't believe so, and I think that's not recognized in the community, when we have needle and syringe programs available for people with addictions.

Public Safety committee  I don't believe so. I believe that for many people there is not a willingness or perhaps availability of treatment. In those cases, when there are needle and syringe programs available, they reduce the risk of hepatitis C and HIV infection.

Public Safety committee  These are based on the systematic evaluations that have been undertaken in prisons where they've existed. So I would assume that they would take actual consideration of that issue, since it has been raised by correctional officers as something that they fear.

Public Safety committee  This was the case in Germany and Switzerland. In those cases, as I mentioned during my opening statement, they did state that fear, and the fear wasn't realized. In time, they came to support those programs.

Public Safety committee  I have not personally. My colleague at the legal network who was working on prison issues before me has spoken, and I believe that's their primary concern as well, the institutional safety.

Public Safety committee  Yes.

Public Safety committee  Sure. I have an opening statement, as well.

Public Safety committee  Thank you, Mr. Chair and members of the standing committee, for giving us the opportunity to share some of our research on prison and HIV/AIDS. I'm a senior policy analyst with the Canadian HIV/AIDS Legal Network. We're a human rights organization based in Toronto. We're a national organization that promotes the human rights of people living with and affected by HIV/AIDS.