Why are prisoners from Bowden released 184km away in Edmonton?

Did you know that an inmate released from the Federal Bowden Institution would be resettled 184 km away in Edmonton, not much closer in Calgary, or Red Deer?

 Building a safer city is really important to me, and safety is very complex.

Did you know that an inmate released from the Federal Bowden Institution would be resettled 184 km away in Edmonton, not much closer in Calgary, or Red Deer?

And more generally, did you know that according to a statistics Canada study on those sentenced across Canada, 66% were reconvicted within 3 years?

According to the Fiscal Gap report provided by City Administration, immediate action by our provincial and federal government (those who operate the prisons and the courts) is needed to further avoid worsening a concentration of criminality and support a safer Edmonton for everyone.

I learn so much in my role as your City Councillor and I try to send some of the most interesting things out in these newsletters. This is one of those times. Please share this post with family and friends via michaeljanz.ca/bowden and encourage them to sign up for updates.

As it stands, the justice system feels set up for failure. When inmates are released from the Edmonton Remand Centre, they’re often dropped downtown with whatever they came in with, making it tough to break free from the conditions that led them there in the first place.

According to city administration analysis, (p. 129) the high concentration of incarceration facilities in the greater Edmonton area results in a high number of offenders settling in Edmonton post-incarceration. Due to challenges within the criminal justice system to effectively promote rehabilitation, reintegration, and public safety, there continues to be high rates of recidivism for individuals shortly after their release from incarceration.

In addition to Bowden, the Edmonton region is home to eight federal and provincial incarceration/detention facilities with a total inmate capacity of 3,405. Five of the incarceration facilities are federal, and three are provincial. The largest federal facility is the maximum security Edmonton Institution, with an inmate capacity of 324. The largest provincial facility is the Edmonton Remand Centre, with an inmate capacity of 1,952. Edmonton has a very high concentration of incarceration facilities relative to other large cities in Canada, with one of the highest rates of correctional institutions per capita in the country.

In contrast, the City of Calgary’s population is 31% greater than Edmonton’s, but has far fewer incarceration facilities: Calgary has only two provincial facilities, with a total inmate capacity of 1,111; Edmonton’s inmate capacity (3,405) is 306% greater than Calgary’s.

Statistics Canada conducted a study on 70,000 adults sentenced to custody or community supervision across five provincial correctional programs: Nova Scotia, Ontario, Saskatchewan, Alberta and British Columbia. The study found that across all five provinces, 53% of the custody cohort was reconvicted within one year, 62% within two years and 66% within three years.

The large concentration of prisons in metropolitan Edmonton, coupled with high rates of recidivism, drives additional demand for police services In Edmonton. I’ve only been a city councillor for three years and in that time I’ve watched the police budget grow almost 20%, but this shouldn’t be a cost that Edmontonians’ cover alone. This is yet another example of the deck being stacked against the vulnerable in Canada, and the structural failures in our society, including our prison system, playing out on the streets of our city. 

In his book “Indictment: the criminal justice system on trial” author Dr. Benjamin Perrin, a former advisor to Stephen Harper notes, “No one comes out of prison better off. Collectively, conservative movements claiming to be tough on crime, are not being smart on crime.”

Isn’t it past time to ask for performance management of our justice system, a meaningful reintegration program, and a bit of geographical equity? After all, The Alberta Government just agreed to cover the increased policing costs for rural Alberta. With increased policing costs driving up property taxes, where's the equity for Edmonton?

We could have it all: fair taxation, empathy, care for our neighbours, including those who have made mistakes and are eligible for release. Everyone deserves hope and society has a responsibility to retrain and reskill.

Edmonton doing everything we can with our limited tools as a city including new and innovative measures such as the wildly successful problem properties initiative, banning pepper spray, and now looking at knife bylaws, as requested by the Edmonton Police. No city council in history has spent more on police, bylaw, and public safety. While important, this is increasingly financially unsustainable so long as investments only pour into enforcement and not prevention. Edmonton can and is investing in enforcement. It is the Province’s responsibility to invest in prevention, and so long as they fail to do so, the problem will get worse. 

We must put the information on the table and talk about what is just and what is fair. Is the criminal system working as intended? I would strongly suggest no. Has it developed into a cycle that is failing communities? I would strongly suggest yes. I applaud the tireless work of advocates for reform such as Dr. Benjamin Perrin who are urging governments to take action. In Edmonton’s case, we need to ask the province to make changes that relieve the disproportionate effects this is having on our city’s well-being. We can start with calling on Justice Minister Mickey Amery to stop setting everyone up for failure by releasing inmates from Bowden into Edmonton.

Here's a list of comprehensive safety expenditures we've made:

mayorsohi.ca/safety

Here's more context to our safety challenges:

https://www.ashleysalvador.com/post/safety

 

VIDEO: The Science and Secrets of Ending Violent Crime with Dr. Irvin Waller

 

VIDEO: Indictment: The Criminal Justice System on Trial Dr. Ben Perrin



https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O9ClXJn4YUQ



 

If you are in need of urgent help, please call the following services which are available 24/7 by telephone:
 
- Emergency needs (food, clothing, shelter): 1-866-644-5135
- Mental Health Distress Line: 780-482-4357 (available 24-7)
- Mental Health Live Chat: 1-877-302-2642 (available weekday day & evenings + weekend afternoons)
- Seniors Abuse Helpline: 780-454-888
- Family Violence Info Line: 780-310-1818
- Child and Family Crisis Support: 1-800-638-0715
- Child Abuse Hotline: 1-800-387-5437
- Child Intervention Crisis Unit: 1-800-638-0715
- Crisis Diversion Team: 211 (Press 3 to dispatch the 24/7 Crisis Diversion Team)
- Trans LifeLine: 1-877-330-6366
- Sexual Assault Centre of Edmonton: 780-423-4121
- WIN House Women's Shelter 780-479-0058
- Lurana Women's Shelter 780-424-5875
 
Below are a few non-emergency phone numbers for a number of inquiries:
 - Police Non-emergency line: 780-423-4567
- Alberta Health & Seniors Advocates: 780-422-1812
- Seniors Help Line: 211
- City of Edmonton Help Line: 311
- Bylaw Inquires such as parking, construction, noise or neighbourhood issues, contact 311
- Alberta Works: 780-644-9992
- Edmonton Community Legal Centre: 780-402-1725
- Legal Aid 1-866-845-3425

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