Prison Farm Protest in PA
Union unhappy that feds will close prison farm by 2010
A small rally is took place outside Riverbend Instition in Prince Albert Thursday morning.
The handful of union members belonging to the Union Solicitor General Employees Union was protesting the federal government's decision to close all prison farms across the country by 2010.
The demonstrators disagree with the government's argument that the offenders are not learning marketable skills.
"We say that that's quite to the contrary," says Regional Union VP Barry Stoler. "The hard work ethic and the strong values and ethics that are consistent with all farming operations on family farms across this country are skills that offenders take into the community and they do quite well with."
Stoler says they are calling on the government to reverse its decision and expand the program.
There are currently three prison farms in the region: Bowden, Rockwood, and Riverbend.
Stoler notes the union members are planning to hold a larger rally next month.
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Nigel Maxwell reporting.
Comments
Instead of hard work, the
Instead of hard work, the government would like them to sit in there cell and watch TV! Who says crime does not pay?
The union is right this time
Any reasonable person would agree with the union reps that the farm operation should remain open. In fact, why not expand it? Surely the inmates would benefit from doing a little bit of productive work during their period of incarceration, and society would benefit because when those individuals finish their sentences they would have learned skills that can help them become productive members of various communities. It's certainly worth a try, isn't it? It beats welfare for released inmates, right?