Public Safety committee  There are analgesic medications, medications that are provided for sleep disorders or mood disorders, which may or may not be addictive, but they have a contraband value because of how they alter your mood or how they allow you to self-medicate so you're not experiencing incarcer

Public Safety committee  The 10-year change is about 5%, which is lower than some people expected it to be. In my opinion, most of that change is not new warrants of committal based on any kind of increase in crime but flows from policy changes that have to do with release. We've seen a stacking inside f

Public Safety committee  Yes, the early evidence was very encouraging in terms of a decrease both in blood-borne transmission of diseases and in the cost of treatment of those diseases, particularly hepatitis C, but there are also concerns about HIV/AIDS. The safer tattoo practices pilot project was very

Public Safety committee  Well, as I say, before it was finalized. I think it's safe to say that people were encouraged and then were surprised when it was cancelled.

Public Safety committee  No.

Public Safety committee  I know this is a time-worn analogy, so forgive me, but think of the corrections system as a great big balloon that is squeezed in one place but pops up someplace else. We can transfer funds. The more we rely on incarceration, the more expensive things become, particularly the mor

Public Safety committee  Now you're asking me to get into politics. If I were to comment, I'd say no.

Public Safety committee  Yes, I believe it would. I believe there's evidence to support that position.

Public Safety committee  Correctional Service Canada currently operates five regional psychiatric centres. The one in Saskatoon is the only national resource that Correctional Service operates that has capacity for women. That capacity is now standing at 20 beds. In addition to that capacity provided and

Public Safety committee  There are a number of challenges, but there is a tremendous willingness, frankly, on the part of many health operators at the provincial level to engage in discussions about how to meet those challenges. They're often dealing with the same people. Many women who are federally inc

Public Safety committee  Certainly. It depends at what point in the criminal justice process we're talking about. Talking about post-sentence only, for somebody who has received a sentence of more than two years, then you can begin your discharge planning immediately, and you can begin to prepare people

Public Safety committee  Yes, absolutely. My role is not really to issue a pass or fail with Correctional Service Canada. We're not an inspectorate, as they say. We respond primarily to complaints and maladministration. Often what you hear from me is commentary about negative findings. I think it's also

Public Safety committee  Certainly, we saw a flurry of activity in the aftermath of the death of Ashley Smith, for example, when it comes to some women's corrections issues, some policy clarification around the use of segregation, and some access to mental health treatment. We've seen some other progress

Public Safety committee  I don't want this to sound flippant at all, but it reminds me of what they say about advertising, “repetition, repetition, repetition, and colour”. It's important to very dogged in this work. The issues are big. It's a large organization. You may think you've addressed a problem

Public Safety committee  It's been a long time since I have applied any kind of a critical or analytical eye to provincial jails. I've certainly spent a lot of time in provincial jails over the years. I'll be moving into that realm in the new year. At this point, I don't have any particular lessons learn