Green Party Pushes For Deputy Commissioner

Green Party Pushes For Deputy Commissioner

Tuesday, November 10, 2009 at 14:12

 

 

The federal government is being pressured to appoint a deputy commissioner for Aboriginal corrections.

 

The suggestion was initially made by the office of the correctional investigator, an independent ombudsman for federal inmates.

 

The Green Party of Canada has picked up on this idea.

 

Justice critic Jared Giesbrecht says he thinks a lot of progress could be made towards rehabilitating Aboriginal offenders if programs were specifically tailored to their needs.

 

“Having the deputy commissioner is one step to facilitating more resources and contact with elders and Aboriginal liaison officers,” he says.

 

Giesbrecht says the Conservative government seems to be fixated on the idea of imposing mandatory minimum sentences at all costs.

 

He feels that this is a mistake, and that the government should instead focus on integrating offenders back into society.

 

He estimates the number of federal inmates is rising by 10 per cent, due to the government’s “get tough on crime” policies.