More convicts must pay their own way in prison, Toews declares

More inmates in Canadian prisons will be charged for their room and board starting next year.

It’s one of the latest tough-on-crime measures Public Safety Minister Vic Toews announced Wednesday. Charging more to stay in prisons, getting rid of incentive pay tied to certain inmate work and ensuring offenders are charged for their phone calls are among the changes the minister says will save a total of $10-million each year.

“All too often, victims have told us they feel the criminals have all the rights,” Mr. Toews said in a statement. “We’ve listened.”

The Correctional Service of Canada currently charges inmates at the top of the prison pay scale $25 per week for room and board. It comes out of their stipend or inmate pay that’s tied to employment in prison.

There are six levels of income, ranging from $1 to $6.90 per day. Starting in 2013/2014, all inmates in the top three levels will pay about 30 per cent of their stipend for room and board at their correctional institution.

“This measure will more closely align offender contributions towards their room and board with costs that law-abiding Canadians incur for these types of expenses,” Public Safety Canada said. The department added that increasing the charges will save more than $4-million annually.

Inmates who are identified as being able to participate in programs including employment may work at Correctional Service facilities. In the past those who worked at the facilities – which specialize in textiles, manufacturing, construction and services like printing and laundry – were given additional pay to meet production quotas.

“Given the demand for participation in CORCAN shops, there is no need to provide ‘incentive pay,’” the department said, adding that measure will save about $1.8-million annually.

Another change, which Public Safety says will save about $1.7-million each year, is ensuring that inmates pay administrative costs associated with phone use. “You use it – you pay for it,” the department said.

At the moment, corrections staff breakdown the costs associated with each inmate’s phone use when a monthly bill arrives and then recoup the costs.

Mr. Toews said his department will also change the way inmates get goods from outside prison. Now, if an inmate needs something that isn’t in stock or at the inmate canteen they fill out a request and a staff member goes and buys what they need.

“Institutional staff are not personal shoppers,” the department’s statement said. “They deserve the opportunity to focus on the very important jobs we have entrusted them to do inside the walls of the institution.”

Starting next year, a schedule will be established and staff will go to an established list of suppliers and inmates will be able to order from a catalogue.

The final measure announced is that canteens in institutions will become inmate-owned. Before, the Correctional Service purchased personal hygiene and snack products and sold them directly to inmates.

The department says it has recently shifted ownership of canteens, with 85 per cent of canteens being owned by inmates. The final 15 per cent will now be converted to inmate ownership, the department said, saving about $1.6-million each year.

Original Article
Source: Globe
Author: CARYS MILLS