Discussion · Adjournment Proceedings
Scott Reid Conservative
“The government is cutting the wrong prison jobs to save money. It fired 25 workers who help former prisoners find jobs. It should cut the prison work program instead, which would save much more money and does not work. Did government researchers tell the truth when they called that program outdated?”
“Mr. Speaker, the government asked Corrections Canada to make cuts to save $132 million over the next three years. To that end, Corrections Canada has eliminated 25 community employment coordinators. These are the people who actually help prisoners find jobs after they are in prison. Firing these employment coordinators saved $2.7 million. Now, it seems to me the wrong cuts are being made. Eliminating a totally unnecessary and ineffective program like CORCAN would save at least $198 million, and that is just the salaries, over the next three years and would save the jobs of the employment coordinators, who actually make a difference in finding jobs for ex-convicts and making our communities safer. Does the government have it backwards? Were the researchers at Corrections Canada right when they said, in a report to the minister, “CORCAN is an outdated model”?”
Mr. Speaker, the government asked Corrections Canada to make cuts to save $132 million over the next three years. To that end, Corrections Canada has eliminated 25 community employment coordinators. These are the people who actually help prisoners find jobs after they are in prison. Firing these employment coordinators saved $2.7 million. Now, it seems to me the wrong cuts are being made. Eliminating a totally unnecessary and ineffective program like CORCAN would save at least $198 million, and that is just the salaries, over the next three years and would save the jobs of the employment coordinators, who actually make a difference in finding jobs for ex-convicts and making our communities safer. Does the government have it backwards? Were the researchers at Corrections Canada right when they said, in a report to the minister, “CORCAN is an outdated model”?