Harper Government Announces Action for Safety of Canadian Streets and Communities

COWANSVILLE, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Jan. 10, 2011) - Today, the Harper Government announced further action for the safety of Canadian streets and communities with an investment to help keep dangerous criminals behind bars. The $73-million announcement to expand federal institutions in Cowansville and Donnacona in order to better provide for the protection of law-abiding citizens was made by the Member of Parliament for Saint-Boniface, Shelly Glover, on behalf of the Honourable Vic Toews, Minister of Public Safety, 

"Our Government is proud to be on the right side of this issue – the side of law-abiding citizens, the side of victims who want justice, and the side that understands the cost of a safe and secure society is an investment worth making," said MP Glover, on behalf of Minister Toews. "The expansion of these institutions not only reaffirms our government's commitment to Quebec, but helps ensure that criminals serve sentences that better reflect the severity of their crimes."

This $73-million expansion will involve the construction of two new 96-bed living units at Cowansville Institution and a new 96-bed living unit at Donnacona Institution. It is anticipated that the new living units at Cowansville Institution will be completed in 2012-2013 and at Donnacona Institution in 2013-2014.

"In the previous system, a violent criminal sentenced to nine years in prison could potentially be on our streets in as little as three years if he or she spent two years awaiting trial. This possibility is not acceptable to Canadians," said MP Glover. "We are acting to ensure that criminals pay their debt – their full debt – to society."

It is anticipated that over the coming years, CSC will be adding over 2,700 beds to men's and women's facilities across Canada.