Spending more money on prisons isn’t the answer (letter)

London Community News

Dear editor, Thanks for printing my letter. I was also happy to see an editorial (July 27 edition) addressing this unacceptable situation. However, you talk about shipping these men to other facilities and how it is going to cost money to resolve this problem. I disagree. I would suggest a different tack. I don’t agree that money is the answer to the problems at EMDC. I think as soon as you talk about money as the answer, citizens tune out the details. We all know there is no political or public support for spending money on corrections facilities. The issue of money gives everyone responsible an “out”. If money is the answer, then they can all helplessly wring their hands and wait for someone else to “show them the money.” So essentially, no one has to address the numbers, the danger, the destruction of a perfectly good facility, the assaults or the thugs who are running the place now. This is not about money. We can reduce the number of men in custody without spending a dime. In reality, reducing the number of men remanded into custody will actually save us money. It requires a creative and common sense approach that is so extremely rare as to be non-existent within our justice system.

Judy Reddick, London