Stop Being Tough on Crime

As has been proven many times before, being "tough on crime" as the Conservatives like to call it does not work. Instead of reducing crime, it has the potential to harden petty criminals and make them repeat offenders, committing worse crimes. Besides, crime has actually been decreasing since about a decade ago. Why stop a system that has already been working for an inferior system already proven wrong?

Moreover, being "tough on crime" also costs more money. A lot more.The Tories are planning to spend at least $2.7 billion on new prisons and other "tough on crime" policies (the budget watchdog says it's more like $5 billion). Even some conservatives in the United States are starting to recognize that this is not the way to lower crime. Being tough on crime just isn't a smart fiscal or crime policy.

The Conservative administration in Ottawa continues to advocate U.S. Republican-style legal solutions even though the American justice system is in a shambles. 

Prison populations are exploding, police and prosecution budgets are strapped and in many states the legal-defender system has all but collapsed.

Read more at the Vancouver Sun.

Related articles

• Provinces want Ottawa to help pay additional costs for prisons (theglobeandmail.com)
• Playing the politics of slogans and fear (theglobeandmail.com)