Provincial Health Officer Calls for Safe Streets and Communities Act to be Revoked
Vancouver, B.C.- A special report from the B.C. Provincial Health Officer presents several recommendations to change the Federal Government’s Safe Streets and Communities Act.
The report, “Health, Crime and Doing Time” says the Act poses a potential for serious health and social impacts on Aboriginal people. ( click on report image at right to read full report)
Aboriginal people represent about 5% of the population in B.C, but account for more than 25% of those who are in correctional centres in the province.
"We are concerned that the new federal legislation represents a step backwards and creates circumstances that will likely result in still more Aboriginal youth and adults in prisons, and lower health status for Aboriginal people in correction facilities, as well as their families and communities." said Dr. Evan Adams, deputy provincial health officer.
The report also says the new Act will also increase the likelihood that more youth will be incarcerated as the Act shifts the focus from rehabilitation to deterrence and penalization.
There are four major concerns with the Act:
- Effectively eliminates the requirement to consider the unique circumstances of Aboriginal offenders in accordance with existing
- Shifts the focus of sentencing toward denunciation and deterrence,de-emphasizing rehabilitation.
- Introduces and expands mandatory minimum sentences for adults.
- Expands the definition of "violent offence" to include offences where a young person’s behaviour posed a risk to others, even if it was not intentional and did not result in an injury.
The report makes nine recommendations, including that the act be either revoked or substantially amended to ensure that it recognizes the unique history and context of Aboriginal people in Canada, and considers the mental, physical and emotional health and wellness of Aboriginal offenders.
Other recommendations include improving collaboration between the health and justice sectors and with Aboriginal people; focusing on the prevention and diversion of crime; and undertaking comprehensive monitoring and evaluation of the effects of the act.
Comments
For Profit Prisons coming soon to a town near you!
1. GOOD – why should anyone be treated different because of race?
2. GOOD – Rehab obviously is not a deterrent when you see guys on the street with over 40 convictions
3. GOOD – Mandatory sentences take the power away from our cry baby judges that impose rediculously short sentences.
4. – GOOD – how can you “unintentionally” be violent during a crime?
But hey, thats just me – one poor guy that is sick of lenient judges oiling the revolving door…
So why are these people having the most children in Canada, if they can’t raise them properly? If you are going to have children why not give them the best of what you can give them. We should have compulsory sterilization for those who have proven they can’t get off drugs. Allowing them to have children is making society to dangerous. How are we supposed to police these people? This goes with whites too. It’s not fair that these kids grow up to be mean ass gangsters, and make victims out of the rest of us. We should be allowed to defend ourselves from people like this.
Why keep having kids? For the money, it’s only for the money. Certainly isn’t because they want to raise them properly.
“Aboriginal people represent about 5% of the population in B.C, but account for more than 25% of those who are in correctional centres in the province.”
And whose fault is that?
Criminals make their own beds, they can sleep in them no matter what their race.
When I say drugs, I’m talking, Meth, Cocaine, Crack Cocaine, Heroin, and sniffing gas, glue or Gravol to get high, and of course drinking. If you are a drunk why should you be allowed to have a child?
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