HOW TO MAKE DO WITH A LACK OF CRIMINALS

This is not a frivolous problem. Our federal government are hoping to get reelected on their "get tough on crime" agenda. It's just downright awkward that all our criminal activity is on the downswing. Perhaps if the Tories continue to cut welfare, disability and unemployment insurance at the same time bringing in massive numbers of immigrants, refugees, "seasonal" workers and just about anyone who can increase the labour pool, while undermining wages and unions, crime will take an upturn. I do know that my favourite judicial saying is that the law in all its' majesty will treat a rich person stealing a loaf of bread just as harshly as a poor person.

Yesterday's Waterloo Region Record carrys an opinon piece by Dr. Donald Morgenson a psychology prof at Wilfred Laurier University in Waterloo, Ontario. The title is "Too many mentally ill ending up in our jails". As I understand Dr. Morgenson's article, but for the massive numbers of the mentally ill in our jails and prisons, our crime statistics would be even lower than they are. A prime example would be the criminalization of Ashley Smith. If you look at her sentence and time served you'd think she was a mass murderer. Not so. Just a huge number of "institutional" charges laid upon a young person with huge social, emotional and mental problems. Her initial crime at age 15 was throwing a crab apple at a postal worker. Four years later she's in isolation with another four years confinement ahead of her. I'm starting to think some of our institutions are run by sociopaths and psychopaths. The decisions they make defy common sense or decency.