Check It Out: Agreeing to work together

By Joan Janzen

My father-in-law possesses a wealth of stories and sayings. He shared a recent anonymous quote: "If two people always agree, one of them isn't necessary."

At times it seems like our government finds disagreeable or dissenting voices unnecessary. Nevertheless, where there's a will, there's a way to get messages delivered.

One of the messages being delivered concerns the increasing crime rate. At the present time, violent offenders on conditional release, who break the conditions, don't face any consequences for doing so, and the breach is not recorded on the offenders' record.

Consequently, problems have arisen in communities due to violent offenders being released on parole. Many of these offenders frequently resume their criminal activities in breach of their parole conditions.

In an effort to find a solution, Bill C-325 was introduced. This Bill provides that if an offender on parole breaks the conditions, they will be liable to serve two years, and the breach will be recorded on the offender's record. Offenders of certain violent criminal acts will be precluded from serving their sentences in their communities.

The Bill changes the way in which we protect our communities while furthering the safe re-integration of offenders into society. However, reintegration becomes complicated when there are addictions involved.

According to Richard Bragdon, a New Brunswick MP, "Seventy percent of those incarcerated have an addictions problem. If we don't deal with the addictions epidemic, we're going to continue having a criminal problem. So we've got to deal with both," he reported to Faytene Grasseschi in a recent interview on her show.

Over a year ago, MP Bragdon saw the passing of Bill C-228 in spite of overwhelming odds. "I found out that less than one and a half percent of opposition MPs' private members bills actually make it through the process and become a law," he noted.

"The purpose of Bill C-228 is to stop the revolving door in and out of our prison systems," he explained. It addresses the issue of how to ensure people who have served their time and return to community life don't go back into the things that led to their incarceration.

This Bill supports faith-based and communal initiatives that aim to rehabilitate people who have been incarcerated. MP Bragdon said, "It has been verified, from jurisdiction to jurisdiction, that the most effective programs that are out there are often times faith-based programs and other community non profit organizations, that have stepped forward and come alongside those who are vulnerable. They help provide a pathway back to either employment or community, as well as dealing with the addictions component."

An example of a successful rehabilitation program are the 19 Teen Challenge centres across Canada. Their adult clients learn character and leadership skills, health and life skills and acquire vocational training. The program experiences a high success rate due in large part to the clients dedicating 12 months of their life to the live-in program.

The Bill also welcomes non-governmental, non-profit and private sector organizations to step up and help by providing employment opportunities after rehabilitation. "It's so hard for people who have been through the prison system to get jobs because they have a criminal record," MP Bragdon said. But having a reputable businesses or non-profit providing employment, helps form a valuable partnership with the rehabilitation program.

It takes a community working together to help solve problems. The many voices involved may not all agree; but they all can agree that they need to work together in order to see positive results.