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PRISON MAKES THE ILLICIT AND DANGEROUS LEGAL AND SAFE
by Clifford Krauss
"BATH, ONTARIO, NOVEMBER 18 - The Bath Institution is a long way from Alcatraz"
The
article starts:
"It is a medium-security federal prison, and its inmates are allowed to keep the keys to their cells. Many have their own kitchen, and they move freely from the gym to the cabinet-making shop. Drug addicts can clean their
needles with bleach, and comdoms are readily available.
Now the institution has opened a tatoo parlor, and Mark Hewitt, a 37-year-old inmate in jail for breaking into factories, couldn't be happpier.
"You're excluded from society, so the way to fit in here is to get a tatoo, to blend
in and be one of the crew, to be safer," said Mr. Hewitt, who for years had been
cladestinely puncturing prisoner bicepts with sewing needles, guitar strings and
homemade ink sometimes made from burnt polystyrene".
The prison system has certainly changed over the last decade whereby
prisoners went into jail to amend society for their wrongdoings. Now prisoners have their own keys, gyms and classes to alleviate the fact that they are "excluded from society". Will the next move be to introduce swimming pools, theatres and hairdressing salons into the prison system so as not to allow these prisoners to feel "excluded". I dont even want to think about the condonm issue!
The article continues:
"Officials here and in the United States say they believe that the pilot project is the first of its kind in the world, another step in a trend of harm-reduction spreading to one degree or another in prisons in many countries. The pilot
program, expected to continue through at least 2007, is expected to cost the government roughly 100,000 dollars per prison".
Does anyone else other than me believe this to be a complete waste of taxpayers money. Next time you have to pay a large revenue invoice just remember that some of your hard-earned cash is going towards the arts world in the form of Tattoo Parlours for criminals.
The article continues:
"Tatooing has traditionally been banned in prisons because
tattoos are often used to identify inmates with gangs and hate groups. But inmates have managed to get around the bans; 45 percent of Canadian inmates acquire a tattoo while in prison, according to government statistics. The rate has held steady over the last decade despite the widespread knowledge that diseases are spread through reused tattoo needles and ink".
Ok, I am not against any form of anti-disease spreading formula especially if it involves Aids or Hepatitis C. Howevee, 100,000 per prison just so criminals can have body-art seems a little over-the-top. Just how many tattoos are these guys and gals getting?
the article contunues:
"You don't want your prisons acting as a pool of infection for the general population", said Joanne Barton, a senior health officer working on the program. ....
ms. Barton stressed that tattoos connected with hate groups and gangs were prohibited, along with tattoos on the face, neck and genitals".
May I ask is Ms Barton is going to personally overview that these strict guidelines are adhered to? Is Ms Barton prepared to inspect prisoners genitals? Would Ms Barton know a hate group tatoo or a gang insignia if she inspected it? I think not.
the article continues:
"This program is doomed for failure," said Sylvain Martel, the union's national president. Needles will be used against corrections officers".
Finally, someone who can see the light of day. Not only are we providing free body-art, free gym membership etc., we are also providing criminals with weapons which may be used against the very people who are in place within the prison confines. Mr Martel continues, with great common sense, "We already have evidence" that inmates are stealing needles, ink and other paraphernalia from the parlors to be used in illicit tattooing". Guess what guys, they are criminals and believe it or not, some do steal goods.
The article cont"The Canadian experiment is being watched closely by other prison systems looking for wars to control infections. Other Canadian prisons where tattoo programs are being tested, in Quebec and the Prairie provinces, have larger gang problems".
We now must go directly back to Ms Barton. Oh you are going to be one very busy woman. You will have to do a crash-course on identifying gang realted tattoos.
The article continues:
"The corrections department in the Spanish province of Catalonia has reviewed the guidelines used in the Canadian program as it prepares to open its own pilot program. One corrections department in Australia has also considered starting a pilot, and the idea could eventually migrate south of the border".
The only think I have to add to this is "has the prison world gone mad". I cannot wait to hear the government's excuses as to how they can allow a budget of 100 thousand dollars for tatoo parlors in our prison system. If this programme does spread further I eagerly await how Mr Bush, Mr Blair and various country leaders are going to explain away the complete waste of taxpayers money so that our prisoners can improve their body-art. My final question is, just how many tattoos does it take to warrant spending 100 thousand dollars per prison?
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