(Charlottetown) - At a press conference yesterday, the National Union of Public and General Employees (NUPGE) called on provincial and federal governments to take action to address the growing crisis of people with mental illnesses being incarcerated in Canada's correctional facilities.
Speakers included:
• James Clancy, National President;
• Shelley Ward, President, PEI Union of Public Sector Employees;
• Dan Sidsworth, Ontario Public Service Employees Union; and
• Pat Gilbertson, Manitoba Government and General Employees’ Union.
"Our members who work in provincial jails are telling us that the number of inmates with mental health or addiction problems is growing dramatically," said James Clancy. “It is an inhumane way to deal with people who need treatment, not jail time.”
"Provinces need the federal government to step forward with the necessary resources to address existing problems such as over-crowding and crumbling facilities," explained Clancy.
"The federal anti-crime legislation is going to make a bad situation worse by imprisoning more and more people. Furthermore, these ‘tough on crime’ policies have been shown neither to reduce crime nor make our communities safer. It is a flawed approach that has been discredited wherever it has been tried."
The press conference was held during a national meeting of NUPGE's correctional officers and youth facility workers held in Charlottetown to coincide with a meeting of the Ministers of Justice.