Showing posts with label Prisons. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Prisons. Show all posts

Tuesday, October 18, 2011

Drugs tossed to inmates over prison's fence



Management at a Manitoba prison has opened an exercise yard for inmates that invites passersby to toss drugs over the fence. Gee I wonder if that's Stony Mountain prison where Deli and Sean Wolfe are staying? Yup sure is.

CTV even caught a drug toss on camera. The drug trade is alive and well in prison. Still. Ya think Mr. Harper would spend some coin on fixing that problem before he builds more prisons and fills them with pot growers. I guess Stony Mounted institution has been renamed to Stoned Mountain.

"I think they're afraid of what the inmate response will be if they close it. You cut off the drug supply and of course they're going to be pissed off." Grabowsky said. You have got to be kidding. The powers that be are afraid of upsetting the inmates if it cuts off their drug supply. Who's in charge here any ways?

Last August an employee was charged with bringing drugs into Stony Mountain. Let's not forget that fatal drug over dose in the Maple Ridge prison. Oh yeah that was from drugs the government brought in. Go figure. Personally I don't like the idea of regular strip searches but there is no reason they can't use drug sniffing dogs. They should have drug sniffing dogs regularly at the border.

Monday, October 3, 2011

Court backlog stalls more prosecutions



Once again the Court backlog makes the front page. Kim Bolan was reporting on how the shortage of sheriffs for court was resulting in many cases getting adjourned. At the same time we also read about how the prisons in BC are over crowed to the absurd extreme where Gordo the Glutton was building prison tents in BC. I kid you not.

All this was happening before Harper's disproportionate crime bill that will now send that fragile system into absolute chaos. Realistically someone who committed murder won't have their case dropped as that would hopefully be somewhat of a priority. Yet the other prioritization has already gone astray.

According to government figures provided to The Province, as of Sept. 3, there had been 73 judicial stays of proceedings for adult criminal and youth cases in B.C. Provincial Court so far this year. In 2010, there were 58 judicial stays for the entire year. The Vancouver Province listed a few of the many cases that were dropped because of delays resulting from shortages.

Some of the cases weren't significant yet others were. In 2009, Jason James Horner and Robert Luigi Polani had their cocaine conspiracy charges stayed when a judge found their three-year-old case had taken too long to get to trial. A Crown appeal of the rulings by B.C. Supreme Court Justice Peter Leask was heard last November and a decision is still awaited. Peter Leask hearing another cocaine case. God help us.

In May 2010, Provincial Court Judge Ronald Webb, in staying a charge of possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking against Darren Bryan Williams of Cranbrook, said trial dates were hopelessly overbooked.

So right now we are already seeing over crowed prisons and case back logs where important charges like trafficking cocaine are being dropped. Knowing this, Harper then goes to the opposite extreme, leaving hard drugs aside, sets out on his own Don Quixote crusade against those evil pot growers by imposing mandatory minimum sentences of two years for growing pot. No wonder Mr. Harper hasn't increased mandatory minimums for crack. He must be smoking it himself.

Unlike the bleeding hearts, I most certainly don't have a problem with mandatory minimum sentences. For murder or trafficking cocaine. Not for smoking or growing pot. Especially when the courts have directed the government to fix the current problem of patients with medicinal marijuana prescriptions to have aces to filling those prescriptions.

I'm not going to say the courts are the end all and be all. I think the courts decision to keep insite open is wrong. If people want to keep insite open by a democratic referendum that is one thing. Having the courts over rule a democratically elected government and claim shooting heroine in a safe place is a charter right is absurd. But that's another topic.

Right now we have to deal with the catastrophic state of emergency Stephen Harper has now manufactured with his disproportionate crime bill. Cocaine trafficking cases are now getting dropped. That's not even including the investigations like the Western Wind the higher ups have pulled the plug on.

Throwing all the pot growers in jail for two years is going to further tax the judicial system and fill the over crowed prisons. Three to a bunk is not acceptable. Privatizing the prisons is not acceptable. Raising taxes to incarcerate nonviolent offenders is not acceptable. The California prison system is not a model we should follow. Instead we should learn from their mistakes.

Wednesday, July 20, 2011

Rehabilitation



Obviously the gang war concerns us. Public and private violence is a legitimate concern. Seeing the loss and grief in Chris Mohan's mother's eyes is heart breaking. Ultimately, there can be no justice because nothing will bring her son back. Not even the death of those who murdered her son. Yet doing nothing mocks that wonderful life that was stolen.

Perhaps too much effort is put into trying to rehabilitate sexual offenders. Some call for mandatory castration. The objectives of the judicial system is not just to punish the guilty but to protect public peace. To prevent other victims.

Leaving murder and sexual assault aside, I do want to talk about rehabilitation. There was a Hells Angel who was caught selling crack at Surrey Central. He cried just like the Hells Angels caught selling date rape drug, said he was sorry and promised he'd change his ways. Although confession and remorse are the right steps to take, they aren't the only steps. Perhaps I was too critical of this individual. It's really not my place to judge him. I just thought the whole thing was suspicious since as a result of his real or fake tears, he only served one day in prison.

Yet I will agree change is not only possible, it should be encouraged. Kim Bolan interviewed James Coulter who was with the UN and had a crack addiction. He had gotten off the drug and started giving back by volunteering in East Van. This guy seemed legitimate. Not Like Tony the Hypocrite who was "helping" East Van prostitutes by selling them heroin.

Recently someone sent me the link to another reformed gang member who was now speaking to kids in schools. I hesitate to cite the web site or discuss it in a positive light because that might put him at risk. Yet if the Hells Angels are going to try and continue with their dishonest facade about not being drug dealers, then they really shouldn't have anything against someone speaking to kids against drugs and the gang life.

Dave Habib had a famous boxer come and speak against drug abuse to the boxers in his gym. Anyways, the guy's name is Tom Winget. His web site is called You can't reset this game. He is the former Sargent in Arms for the Manitoba Hells Angels. After doing time in the Zig Zag crew round up, he claims to have seen the light and now speaks to kids in schools about gang life. His conclusion is if kids get involved in the gang life there are two places that road will lead: prison or death. It's a pretty honest message. I certainly wouldn't want to see him die of an unfortunate accident for his work.

My whole point is yes people can change and yes that is our ultimate goal. Martin Luther King taught that the old law of an eye for an eye leaves everyone blind. As Christians rally in a mob mentally spirit of criminal vengeance I am reminded of Martin Luther King's conclusion when he said: "I've seen too much hate to want to hate and every time I see it I say to myself hate is too great a burden to bear."

Hate is too great a burden to bear. So is losing a child to violence. We should be concerned with preventing future victims of violence. The first step to rehabilitation is helping people overcome their addictions to hard drugs not by being enablers helping them perpetuate their addiction. Three months in jail for selling crack is not excessive. It is essential. Not doing so is negligence.

Conrad Black on the Prison System



Speaking of prisons, I found this article about Harper's Roadmap to Strengthening Public Safety written by Conrad Black somewhat interesting. I am by no means a fan of Conrad Black. I think he is a liar and a crook. Yet just as no two people agree on every issue, likewise no two people disagree on every issue either. Conrad raises a good point about human rights.

Back in the day we had prisoners of war. Understandably, there is a certain amount of animosity directed toward a prisoner of war. After all, they were caught trying to kill you. Yet they are human beings and are entitled to basic human rights. I'm not going to ramble about prisoner's rights as though it is some kind of demand they are entitled to. I'm going to speak from the position that since we are human beings, treating prisoners like human beings is something we owe ourselves if we are to continue claiming to be members of that race.

I will add that since crime should be punished according to the nature of the offence, I am glad Conrad Black was finally incarcerated for Investment Fraud. Just as we need to address the issue of violent crime, we also need to address the issue of investment fraud since it poses such a legitimate threat to the market and pension security. Robbing a bank is wrong. Whether you come into the bank with a gun, or if you come in with a suit and tie and defraud it, both acts are the same.

Concerns have been raised about Harper’s Corporate Prison Plan and indeed they should. California's prison crisis came about because of the privatization of prisons just like Enron. A privatized prison is a conflict of interest. A privatized prison mandated to make a profit has no regard for rehabilitation or human rights.

Obviously, rehabilitation is not the primary objective of incarceration. Public safety is. Nevertheless, in the spirit of public safely, rehabilitation is a factor. It's not the primary factor but it is a factor nonetheless. After all, "Christians" are taught to visit those in prison and equate it with visiting the sick, feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and housing the homeless.

The Cost of Incarceration



Canada's annual prison costs jump 86 percent to $3B in just five years. As we contemplate raising taxes, reducing deficits, and prioritizing expenditures we do need to examine how much tax dollars we spend on what and why.

We have expressed the concern that the current Judaical system for violent crime is flawed. If you commit murder or if a group of people swarm and assault an individual, that crime needs to be taken seriously and have some kind of legitimate consequence to it. House arrest for trafficking cocaine for the Hells Angels is nonsense. Crimes committed with firearms need to be taken seriously.

Yet often our world is full of extremes. Mandatory minimum sentences for violent crime is one thing. Mandatory minimum sentences for possession of pot is another. When we look at the crisis the California prison system is in, it becomes clear that we must be prudent and prioritize our expenditures.

The California prisons are desperately over crowded. Three to a bunk is excessive. As a result of the privatized prison system refusing to adequately address the issue, the courts ordered them to release one quarter of the prison population. That is significant. The most basic and obvious concern is that the release of prisoners has almost become a lottery as they aren't necessarily releasing nonviolent offenders first which is absolutely absurd.

Equally absurd is Harper's promise to get tough on crime then cut funding for the RCMP and the Gang task force. Crime prevention is an important factor in dealing with crime. Having police officers walk the beat in East Vancouver and in Surrey Central is a good thing. A police presence in those areas can help reduce crime. You don't have to spend a lot of money on Crime Prevention for it to be effective. Block Watch is a volunteer program that effectively gets the community involved in reporting crime and being aware of suspicious behaviour. Surrey Place and Guldford mall have volunteers to help patrol which has dramatically helped reduce the amount of car theft in those areas.

In California they incarcerate deadbeat Dads. No one likes a deadbeat Dad but throwing him in jail costs taxpayers money. Garnishing his wages costs the deadbeat Dad money. It really is that simple.

Yes there is crime associated with grow ops but the real problem is when the gangs take the BC pot and trade it in the US for cocaine to be sold here as crack. As soon as you bring cocaine into the picture the violence increases exponentially. As soon as you start selling crack or meth on the street the violence is off the hook.

Enforcement means not letting the gangs sell crack in public. That is the New York model. Mandatory minimum sentences for selling crack are needed. Mandatory minimum sentences for selling pot is disproportionate and since it would be so costly, it would prevent us from being able to incarcerate the violent criminals and in essence shoot ourselves in the foot.

Wednesday, April 6, 2011

Edmonton Prison Guard charged with drug smuggling



A correctional officer at an Edmonton jail has been charged as a result of allegations that he smuggled drugs to inmates in the facility.

In November 2010, staff from the Edmonton Remand Centre notified Edmonton police about drugs making their way into the centre, prompting an investigation by the police’s drug and gang unit that led to the arrest of James Brian Johnstone, a 21-year-old correctional officer, and five others.

Johnstone is charged with conspiracy to commit drug trafficking, one count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking cocaine, one count of possession of a controlled substance for the purpose of trafficking marijuana and one count of possession of a controlled substance.