Should Canada rethink its tough-on-crime stance?

Politicians and justice experts in Texas say the Canadian government's tough-on-crime plan won't work, and that building more prisons won't bring down the crime rate.

The Texas Dept. of Criminal Justice Central Unit seal is painted on the cell block wall in Sugar Land, Texas. The 102-year-old jail is slated for development as Texas reducing its prison population. Pat Sullivan/Associated PressA state budget crush in 2005 forced Texas to take a hard look at its own justice policy. At the time, Texas had the highest incarceration rate in the U.S., with one in 20 of its adult residents behind bars or on parole or probation.

Policy makers found that sending people to prison was costing 10 times as much as putting them on probation, on parole, or in treatment.

"It was kinda silly, what we were doing," said Representative Jerry Madden, a conservative Republican who heads the Texas House Committee on Corrections.

Texas reversed a $2-billion plan to build new prisons and spent about $300 million on drug treatment programs, mental health centres, probation services and community supervision for prisoners out on parole.

The Conservatives' omnibus crime bill, currently before the House of Commons, includes mandatory minimum sentences, tougher sentences for drug crimes and cutting the use of conditional sentences such as house arrest. Texas has done the opposite in each case.

Should Canada rethink its tough-on-crime stance? Let us know what you think.



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