[All] tomorrow action in Guelph

[Norah & Richard]

Feel free to join us for a 20 minute action in Guelph tomorrow to oppose 
the Omnibus Crime Bill. That money should be spent on carbon reduction !
Norah .  519-823-9601 for any questions.   Please pass on...

_
Nov 24th.. oppose Bill C-10 !_

Guelph joins 140 other communities across the country in opposing the 
Omnibus Crime Bill.
Tomorrow, meeting at 40 Cork St East in front of M.P. Frank Valeriote's 
office at 1pm to show support for opposing Bill C-10
Wear a cowboy hat or gear..to show that the Texas model of prison 
build-up that has been a disaster for them, is not wanted in Canada.
  You will have a chance to sign a petition to oppose this as well.


_*10 reasons to oppose Bill C-10*_
Published On Mon Nov 14 2011 Toronto Star
Trinda L. Ernst
/*Trinda L. Ernst* is president of the Canadian Bar Association./

Bill C-10 is titled The Safe Streets and Communities Act  an ironic 
name, considering that Canada already has some of the safest streets and 
communities in the world and a declining crime rate. This bill will do 
nothing to improve that state of affairs but, through its overreach and 
overreaction to imaginary problems, Bill C-10 could easily make it 
worse. It could eventually create the very problems its supposed to solve.
Bill C-10 will require new prisons; mandate incarceration for minor, 
non-violent offences; justify poor treatment of inmates and make their 
reintegration into society more difficult. Texas and California, among 
other jurisdictions, have already started down this road before changing 
course, realizing it cost too much and made their justice system worse. 
Canada is poised to repeat their mistake.
The Canadian Bar Association, representing over 37,000 lawyers across 
the country, has identified 10 reasons why the passage of Bill C-10 will 
be a mistake and a setback for Canada:

1. Ignoring reality. Decades of research and experience have shown what 
actually reduces crime: (a) addressing child poverty, (b) providing 
services for the mentally ill and those afflicted with fetal alcohol 
spectrum disorder, (c) diverting young offenders from the adult justice 
system, and (d) rehabilitating prisoners, and helping them to 
reintegrate into society. Bill C-10 ignores these proven facts.

2. Rush job. Instead of receiving a thorough review, Bill C-10 is being 
rushed through Parliament purely to meet the100-day passage promise from 
the last election. Expert witnesses attempting to comment on more than 
150 pages of legislation in committee hearings are cut off mid-sentence 
after just five minutes.

3. Spin triumphs over substance. The federal government has chosen to 
take a marketing approach to Bill C-10, rather than explaining the facts 
to Canadians. This campaign misrepresents the bills actual content and 
ensures that its public support is based heavily on inaccuracies.

4. No proper inspection. Contrary to government claims, some parts of 
Bill C-10 have received no previous study by parliamentary committee. 
Other sections have been studied before and were changed  but, in Bill 
C-10, theyre back in their original form.

5. Wasted youth. More young Canadians will spend months in custodial 
centres before trial, thanks to Bill C-10. Experience has shown that 
at-risk youth learn or reinforce criminal behaviour in custodial 
centres; only when diverted to community options are they more likely to 
be reformed.

6. Punishments eclipse the crime. The slogan for one proposal was Ending 
House Arrest for Serious and Violent Criminals Act, but Bill C-10 will 
actually also eliminate conditional sentences for minor and property 
offenders and instead send those people to jail. Is roughly $100,000 per 
year to incarcerate someone unnecessarily a good use of taxpayers money?

7. Training predators. Bill C-10 would force judges to incarcerate 
people whose offences and circumstances clearly do not warrant time in 
custody. Prison officials will have more latitude to disregard prisoners 
human rights, bypassing the least restrictive means to discipline and 
control inmates. Almost every inmate will re-enter society someday. Do 
we want them to come out as neighbours, or as predators hardened by 
their prison experience?

8. Justice system overload. Longer and harsher sentences will increase 
the strains on a justice system already at the breaking point. Courts 
and Crown prosecutorsÂ' offices are overwhelmed as is, legal aid plans 
are at the breaking point, and police forces donÂ't have the resources 
to do their jobs properly. Bill C-10 addresses none of these problems 
and will make them much worse.

9. Victimizing the most vulnerable. With mandatory minimums replacing 
conditional sentences, people in remote, rural and northern communities 
will be shipped far from their families to serve time. Canadas 
aboriginal people already represent up to 80 per cent of inmates in 
institutions in the Prairies, a national embarrassment that Bill C-10 
will make worse.

10. How much money? With no reliable price tag for its recommendations, 
there is no way to responsibly decide the bills financial implications. 
What will Canadians sacrifice to pay for these initiatives? Will they be 
worth the cost?
Canadians deserve accurate information about Bill C-10, its costs and 
its effects. This bill will change our countrys entire approach to crime 
at every stage of the justice system. It represents a huge step 
backwards; rather than prioritizing public safety, it emphasizes 
retribution above all else. Its an approach that will make us less safe, 
less secure, and ultimately, less Canadian.
/*
Trinda L. Ernst* is president of the Canadian Bar Association./

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