“[W]e are working to ensure that the Canadian justice system no longer allows the worst criminals to pose a risk to you, your children, and our communities.” – Mr. Harper in March 2015
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1. 93% of Canadians said that they are “satisfied with their personal safety from crime,” yet Mr. Harper continues to promote getting tougher on crime.
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2. Despite the headlines and statements of various politicians, police reported crime rates are the lowest since 1972, Canadian violent crime rates are down 14% over the last 20 years, and crime severity has decreased by 36% since 2003.
   [Source, Source]
3. Most Canadian prisoners are in jail for nonviolent crimes. Increased sentences, mandatory sentencing, and increasingly austere prison conditions means prisoners becoming violent. The ‘throw away the key” approach creates violent criminals.
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4. Tough on crime is not working in America; from Texas to California, governments are dialling back the laws that have led to mass incarceration.
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5. Rehabilitation works, locking more people up for longer times does not work. Sweden has shown the world how to do it and save the taxpayers money.
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6. The growing cost of crime fighting and prison is not fiscally responsible. In the last 10 years, police spending in Canada rose from $6 billion to $12 billion. Locking up a male inmate costs an average of $110,000 a year. The federal budget for the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has increased 40 per cent to $2.6 billion in the past five years.
   [Source, Source]
7. Mr. Harper’s policies will lead to much more years of incarceration as well as more courts and prisons. The “Truth in Sentencing Act” alone will cost $1.8 billion over a five-year period and add 3,754 new inmates to federal prisons and will add 159 days to each prisoner’s time in jail.
   [Source, Source]
8. Tough on crime means tough to rehabilitate. Canadian prisoners are serving longer sentences in more severe conditions. This does not act as a deterrent for crime. In fact, longer sentencing is more likely to cause a 3% increase in recidivism.
   [ Source, Source, Source]
9. For Mr. Harper’s first five years in office, his government failed to collect $285 million in fines from white collar crime.
   [Source; Source]
10. Aboriginal communities have high rates of incarceration. 23% of prisoners are Aboriginals, who comprise 4.3% of Canada’s population. One in three female prisoners is from Canada’s First Nations. Harsher and longer sentencing will disproportionally affect the First Nations.
    [Source, Source, Source]
11. Mr. Harper’s ‘Tough on Crime’ policies will cost the provincial governments more. In 2012, the federal government spent $5.5 billion while the provinces spent $14.8 billion, a split of 27% and 73%. Provincial security expenditures took up the majority of the cost increases with a 41% increase from $5.6 billion in 2002 to $7.9 billion in 2012.
    [Source, Source]

 

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