Paul S. Graham

Nov. 8, 2011: 300 Winnipeggers demonstrated at the Manitoba Legislature and the Winnipeg Remand Centre to urge the Manitoba Government to join Quebec, Ontario and Newfoundland and Labrador in opposing the Harper government’s omnibus crime bill, misleadingly titled the Safe Streets and Communities Act (aka Bill C-10). Their key message, “time does not stop crime” rebutted the government’s contention that locking up more offenders for longer periods was an effective crime prevention technique.

As I noted in an earlier post, the John Howard Society of Manitoba estimates Canadians will pay $2 billion annually to cover the costs of the bill, which calls for mandatory minimum sentences for a wide range of crimes regardless of individual circumstances. While this will trigger a huge increase in the number of inmates and a prison construction boom, it will do nothing to address the root causes of crime, nor will it lead to the rehabilitation of offenders.

Speakers:

• John Hutton, Executive Director, John Howard Society of Manitoba
• Shaun Loney – Executive Director,  BUILD
• Cora Morgan, Executive Director, Onashowewin
• Tracy Booth, Executive Director, Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba
• Jacquie Nicholson, Literacy Coordinator, John Howard Society of Manitoba
• Alex Paterson, Occupy Winnipeg

The protest was sponsored by:

• BUILD Winnipeg
• Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives
• Canadian Federation of Students
• Elizabeth Fry Society of Manitoba
• Faculty of Social Work, University of Manitoba
• Initiatives for Just Communities
• Occupy Winnipeg
• Ogijiita Pimatiswin Kinamatwin (OPK)
• Mennonite Central Committee of Manitoba
• School of Social Work, Université de Saint-Boniface
• Social Planning Council of Winnipeg
• Southern Chiefs Organization
• William (Bill) VanderGraff, Law Enforcement Against Prohibition

For more information about C-10, contact the John Howard Society of Manitoba. And let your MP know what you think.

See also:

• Eric the Great Hammers Bill C-10
• 3 Reasons to kill Bill C-10