Cost per day to house a prisoner!

[CanuckShooter]

Originally Posted by arnsem10

What does this 300$ a day cover? Food, prison staff salary, laundry, water, electricity? If all those things thats really nothing to complain about. Theres approximately 40 000 prisoners, at 300 a day thats $4.38 billion. So if that $4 billion is the entire budget for the entire prison system in canada, thats not bad. However if the 300$ only covers food, then there is a problem.

They should outsource those cells to countries that could provide the same service at a lower price. No reason at all they couldn't be housed in say Pakistan or China at a fraction of the cost. If it's good enough for manufacturers it should be good enough for jailers?

[ACM]

Our system is badly broken. The costs are insane and the conditions are nothing special. Many folks in the system have genuine mental health issues. some folks go there in winter because its better than what they have on their own.
there are systems out there in other countries that cost half what ours does and actually work.
The inmates should work to make cash within the system but most should be in halfway houses and set ups like work ranches,
we need to rehabilitate folks so they can get contributing. The hard cores like Garland should simply be locked away in an area as he is beyond rehabilitation. The vast majority can be turned around with work and training. presently its just a rather unpleasant break till you get out.
we need to rethink the entire situation. most people have no idea what the system is like

[bat119]

What I do know about the system is that if it worked there would be no such thing as a repeat offender. If you read the news almost every serious crime is committed by an experienced criminal. Out sourcing prisoners to other countries works for me, 10 years in a Siberian gulag would rehabilitate the hardest criminals.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

So everyone in jail is guilty and premeditated their crime?

Someone hurts your wife or child, you beat the crap out of them, you end up in jail. Deserve to be there? Hope you rot in jail for that one, that's your way to look at it.

Firearms offence? How about Canada's mandatory minimum on owning restricted or prohibited firearms? Rot in jail?

Get into a bar fight, someone pulls a knife - you kill the person. You could end up in jail - deserve to rot there?

Jobs? Put them out in public to work, cripes, you'll be whining that they are taking jobs then.

Keg is right, do some research. It takes alot of money to run a prison, the money isn't going into prisoners pockets.



People like Garland deserve the death penalty. I have no feelings whatsoever for people like that, they can rot for all I care.

Keg is also wrong that the prisoners are sooooo hard done by and hey guess what you do the crime you do the time even if in your eye it was just...minimize the bs and put them to hard labour as in crappy jobs like ditch cleaning etc, meals enough to sustain life and no milk, juice etc just water...the common plug will think twice about showing up twice to jail.
Cut cost, well one guard to twenty inmates all chained together, one large cell, one toilet, sleep on the floor...no fancy tv's etc just too dam tired at the end of the day...this reduces amount of guards, unnecessary expenses etc but I know it's not humane to house killers, rapists, thugs in this fashion after all they are human and have rights

[DisplacedCaper]

I don't post on these hot button threads, but a couple of recent cases were a little close to home. If that $300 a day is correct, there needs to be a better system. And with the high rate of reoffenders maybe it's time to abandon the focus on rehabilitation, or maybe reserve it for the lower classes of crimes and turn the harsher crimes sentences into more of a punishment. Something to try and deter some people from committing those crimes. Lots of vacant land up in the territories. Perhaps any manslaughter/1st or 2nd degree murder conviction could get a ticket to a facility built up there for a minimum sentence and no credit for time served etc etc.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[densa44]

I've been a visitor a few times in KP and the one in Fort Sask. Just about 100% of the inmates in Kingston were Black or Native, and I find it hard to believe that there are no white criminals that should be in there.

As far as the cost of keeping people in there is concerned; the British used capital punishment was the sentence for pretty much everything, for lesser offences like stealing a loaf of bread they cut your hand off.

They shot 32 Canadians in WW 1 for offences such as AWOL coming back late after a leave.

You'll no doubt be refreshed to learn that aristocrats were never convicted of crimes and no Officers in His majesty's army were ever shot at dawn. They had diseases and the like and were invalid back to England.

If your are interested in this sort of thing, the Australian government wouldn't give their permission for these drum head court marshals.

So if you have a better way to handle crime, punishment and rehabilitation I'm all ears. I do think the rules are not applied evenly.

Lord Black is back in this country, he rejected Canada and is a convicted felon, he was a friend of the PM.

[Dewey Cox]

I often think I should try to get locked up for 6 months or so, as a vacation.
Give me some time to get some reading in.

[JD848]

Originally Posted by rugatika

Just to be clear. These people made the conscious decision to break the law and took that risk wholly and completely upon themselves. If you don't want to go to prison it is VERY simple to avoid. Don't do the crime if you can't do the time.

And yes. They should be funding their stay in the crowbar hotel on their own dime. No reason to victimize the taxpayer twice. In fact, not only should criminals be funding their stay in prison, they should be funding police forces, and the entire judicial system.

I make no apologies for failing to muster any sympathy for people that so easily failed to show any for the innocent citizens of this country that they victimized.

I am with you 100 percent,.Innocent children are going to bed hungry and they sleep with a full belly and yet complain about the food,my blood just boils,if i say what I would like to do I would be banned.

[Cottus]

Originally Posted by KegRiver

So many experts, so little knowledge.

I've visited prisons, they are no luxury hotel.

Have you been to William Head Penitentiary in Victoria, BC?

9 hole golf course. Salmon fishing dock. Wiccan circle of prayer. Condo/duplex style accommodations. Million dollar ocean views. Theatre troupe (I saw "Waiting for Godot" there...what a trip), wood-working classes. All to house our medium security, notorious, bank robbers, murderers, violent drug dealers who didn't quite make the maximum security cut.

Calgary Herald wrote about some of the luxuries, but I work with a guy who was a guard there for years.

But no, tell me more about how it's "a living hell."

[silverdoctor]

Originally Posted by 58thecat

Keg is also wrong that the prisoners are sooooo hard done by and hey guess what you do the crime you do the time even if in your eye it was just...minimize the bs and put them to hard labour as in crappy jobs like ditch cleaning etc, meals enough to sustain life and no milk, juice etc just water...the common plug will think twice about showing up twice to jail.
Cut cost, well one guard to twenty inmates all chained together, one large cell, one toilet, sleep on the floor...no fancy tv's etc just too dam tired at the end of the day...this reduces amount of guards, unnecessary expenses etc but I know it's not humane to house killers, rapists, thugs in this fashion after all they are human and have rights

Ok, so lets put away the "hardened" criminals for a minute. Prisons are for the convicted - jails are for the people either awaiting trial or people convicted and serving short sentences.

What about weed? Something like 9 arrests every minute according to the stats. Arrests means jail - could be for an hour or days. What the heck do you think that costs in the average year? You want to start cutting back, there's lots of places to do it.


Now, convicts - whether you like it or not - are still people, human beings. How many riots take place in Canada and the US every year do you think? how many millions in damages? Yeah, lets make it more difficult.

We do have a busted system. You want the criminal element detained? It costs money.

[KegRiver]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

We do have a busted system. You want the criminal element detained? It costs money.

Exactly, it costs money and it doesn't work very well.

Teach a man to respect himself and he'll respect others, teach a man to fear and he'll conclude that he might as well do whatever he pleases because no one will give him a break no matter how hard he tries to live a good life.


It is my firm conviction that we would be better off, and many prisoners would be better off is we simply strapped then into a chair and threw the switch. It would cost us both a lot less.

I think prisoners could be rehabilitated but I don't believe the public is willing to do what it would take to accomplish that. Because it would require that people give up their hatred and too many people have to hate to feel good about themselves.

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by silverdoctor

Ok, so lets put away the "hardened" criminals for a minute. Prisons are for the convicted - jails are for the people either awaiting trial or people convicted and serving short sentences.

What about weed? Something like 9 arrests every minute according to the stats. Arrests means jail - could be for an hour or days. What the heck do you think that costs in the average year? You want to start cutting back, there's lots of places to do it.


Now, convicts - whether you like it or not - are still people, human beings. How many riots take place in Canada and the US every year do you think? how many millions in damages? Yeah, lets make it more difficult.

We do have a busted system. You want the criminal element detained? It costs money.

Broken down...you will be potentially chained to a mad man for a crime of weed, breaking rocks or cleaning ditches, only difference is time spend contributing to society in a positive manner.
Riot...burn your mattress sleep on the floor, cement and steal does not burn, when the ashes subdue they clean up after themselves.
You got to create an environment in which no one wants to return too, keep it simple stupid and people on the outside will second guess thier actions in saying that the death penalty will eliminate 75 years of R&R.

[Jack Hardin]

Originally Posted by bbqcrazy

You must have worked their when Don Hyatt ran the place. You are right it certainly was a whole different World then!

Don Hyatt was #2 when I was there. Weisgerber was in charge then.

[rem338win]

Originally Posted by ACM

Our system is badly broken. The costs are insane and the conditions are nothing special. Many folks in the system have genuine mental health issues. some folks go there in winter because its better than what they have on their own.
there are systems out there in other countries that cost half what ours does and actually work.
The inmates should work to make cash within the system but most should be in halfway houses and set ups like work ranches,
we need to rehabilitate folks so they can get contributing. The hard cores like Garland should simply be locked away in an area as he is beyond rehabilitation. The vast majority can be turned around with work and training. presently its just a rather unpleasant break till you get out.
we need to rethink the entire situation. most people have no idea what the system is like

This is a glossy eyed and unrealistic view of offenders in this country. Everyone is offered rehabilitation and ridiculous amount a of funding are poured into it. The gross majority reject it and actively abuse it

Also, arrests do not mean jail or remand 90% of the time. The majority are released on a promise to appear (ie Assault, impaired driving, theft, fraud, possession of drugs etc.) No body goes to jail for weed possession. Maybe trafficking but not possession.

[Ranets]

Originally Posted by Cottus

Have you been to William Head Penitentiary in Victoria, BC?

9 hole golf course. Salmon fishing dock. Wiccan circle of prayer. Condo/duplex style accommodations. Million dollar ocean views. Theatre troupe (I saw "Waiting for Godot" there...what a trip), wood-working classes. All to house our medium security, notorious, bank robbers, murderers, violent drug dealers who didn't quite make the maximum security cut.

Calgary Herald wrote about some of the luxuries, but I work with a guy who was a guard there for years.

But no, tell me more about how it's "a living hell."

FYI Williams Head is a minimum security institution not a medium, although I am not disagreeing with the point that is way over lavish for criminals wether they have moved their way down to minimum or not.

[srs123]

Its a shame that we treat our prisoners better than our seniorrs.
Based on that and the analogy that am paying for this with my tax dollar, when am 70, if i lose all my money and have no means to live. I will go and commit a pity crime that throws me in a mimum security jail where i can get 3 meals a day. A roof over my head and the health care i need.

[Redfrog]

Easy to blame parents, society, Tv, video games etc. Fact is we are ALL exposed to negative influence. Some choose to accept responsibility to live in society and some don't.

Treat the ones who need mental treatment. Lock up the ones who do not respond to a mental health protocol, and lock up the ones who know the crime and decide to commit it anyway.

Make the convicts work to pay for their upkeep and schooling/training etc. just like the taxpayer paying the freight.

[NCC]

20 years ago one of my room mates got drunk and did something stupid that landed him in the Calgary Remand Centre for 3 weeks. He said it was a joke as they watched tv, played pool and lifted weights all day while getting fed and housed.

[Sliderslider]

o wow

[58thecat]

Originally Posted by srs123

Its a shame that we treat our prisoners better than our seniorrs.
Based on that and the analogy that am paying for this with my tax dollar, when am 70, if i lose all my money and have no means to live. I will go and commit a pity crime that throws me in a mimum security jail where i can get 3 meals a day. A roof over my head and the health care i need.

Very sad and true...see you got your retirement planned out

[Redfrog]

Had a friend who did serious time in PA and Kingston. There were some work programs, farm stuff etc. He said there were great. The inmates raised food and did something constructive. when those programs were cut out, they watched TV went to university and generally scammed the system of social workers.

There was a farm complex in B.C. that was shut down after many years. I'm not sure if it was linked to the prison system or the mental health facility in Coquitlam. Again a positive work program cut and the animals getting fed instead.