It may not be that big an issue in Saskatchewan, since we have only one of them, but it's still big enough to warrant comment.The impending closure of the federal prison farms, in our eyes, is very near sighted, wrong headed and one that bears some serious reconsideration on behalf of our MPs and the Prime Minister's office. In fact, we believe the prison farm system should be nearly untouchable for the reason that it provides obvious benefits for those who are incarcerated and probably for those charged with keeping them in check. Prison farms allow some of the most hardened minds in our country to work on a regular basis with farm animals. It's proven time and again that animals go a long way towards softening hard-headed people into more natural, giving attitudes. Animals teach us a lot about how to behave and take responsibility. Raising crops, making them grow, performing seeding and harvest duties what better way is there to rehabilitate? Learning construction skills such as carpentry, mechanics and welding are part of the agri-culture. Growing food is a profession of substance allowing our prisoners to make a solid contribution instead of becoming a total drain on society. This current federal government has vowed to come down hard on crime and criminals with an intent to send even more wrong doers into our prison system. So our question then becomes what are they expecting the prison system to do with these people at a cost of over $100,000 each per year? What is the alternate program or skill set that is going to be introduced or expanded? Why not have them learn some agrarian skills, animal husbandry and how co-operative efforts lead to a crop coming off the fields every fall. Those who are intent on closing prison farms, state that the skills learned aren't useful in the real world. Farmers aren't hiring these days, and especially aren't hiring ex-prisoners, they state.Admittedly, some people, due to family circumstances, may not be inclined to hire former prisoners, especially those having committed the more sharply edged crimes, but many would. And let's not forget those other aforementioned skills. What part of our real world doesn't need mechanics, technicians, carpenters, welders and construction workers? There are a lot of houses to be built in Canada. We desperately need low cost and affordable housing units in Saskatchewan. How about it? But for some reason, our government has stated that following a strategic review, they were still going ahead with the closure of prison farms. No public discourse and no public publishing of the review, just the decision. This reminds us of other recent closed door decisions such as changing the lyrics to the national anthem or eliminating the long-form census survey from the mandatory designation to volunteer. We know what happened, or is happening to those determinations that were made without public consultation. How much do we want to bet that the prison farm land will be sold in a one-time cash grab with that money used to help pay for the construction of bigger and bolder prisons in which the inmates can wile away the hours in a swirling vortex of failure. We totally understand the current rate of rehabilitation within our prison system is abysmal, but closing prison farms will make it even more so.
