Speech (House debate)

{
    "time": "2026-06-09 17:40:00",
    "attribution": {
        "en": "Tom Osborne (Parliamentary Secretary to the President of the Treasury Board, Lib.)",
        "fr": "Tom Osborne (secr\u00e9taire parlementaire du pr\u00e9sident du Conseil du Tr\u00e9sor, Lib.)"
    },
    "content": {
        "en": "<p data-HoCid=\"9391901\" data-originallang=\"en\">Mr. Speaker, ensuring the safety and security of Canadians is a top priority for our government. Indeed, it is a top priority that is shared by all members of the House.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391902\" data-originallang=\"en\">Bill <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C-232</a> proposes new rules that would require dangerous offenders and those convicted of more than one first-degree murder to spend their entire sentence in a maximum-security environment. The bill maintains that doing so would support public safety.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391903\" data-originallang=\"en\">Our government stands with victims and all Canadians who want to keep our communities safe. We understand and appreciate the intent behind the legislation. That said, we believe the approach proposed in the bill has significant shortcomings.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391904\" data-originallang=\"en\">Firstly, the bill contradicts the very purpose and principles of the federal correctional system and its mandate to effectively rehabilitate and reintegrate offenders. The vast majority of offenders re-enter society after serving their sentences. The goal is to ensure that they do so as law-abiding, productive members of our communities. Punishment alone does not make our communities safer. We must also focus on rehabilitation.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391905\" data-originallang=\"en\">The current Corrections and Conditional Release Act is carefully designed to balance punishment, public safety and the eventual reintegration of offenders. The act is designed to ensure that an offender's transfer to medium or minimum security only occurs when they no longer pose an undue risk to society and where they can be safely managed.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391906\" data-originallang=\"en\">All transfer decisions are based on comprehensive professional assessments by case management teams, psychiatrists and security professionals. Bill <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C-232</a> would undermine the expertise of our corrections professionals and tie the hands of those responsible for managing these offenders. Maximum-security institutions are, by necessity, highly restrictive environments focused primarily on containment. They offer fewer opportunities for offenders to access the programs required, such as education, domestic violence and substance abuse treatment, and job and skills training, to address their criminality.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391907\" data-originallang=\"en\">Based on years of evidence, we know that access to these programs is a proven tool for reforming criminal behaviour. Programs like these are more readily available in minimum-security institutions. By keeping offenders in maximum security longer than necessary, we are preventing offenders with determinate sentences from getting the treatment and skills training they need to re-enter society safely upon their release.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391908\" data-originallang=\"en\">In other words, by mandating that offenders remain in maximum security regardless of their behaviour, programming success or reduction in risk, we would, in fact, achieve the very opposite of the stated purpose of the bill. Keeping offenders in maximum-security prisons does not mean that they will never re-enter society. It means that we are failing in our responsibilities to ensure that offenders are effectively rehabilitated and able to safely reintegrate when they eventually re-enter the community.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391909\" data-originallang=\"en\">Under Bill <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C-232</a>, we would, in effect, be less safe because individuals would go directly from maximum security to release into the community without any chance of rehabilitation. Furthermore, limiting access to the programs that offenders require to address their criminality would ultimately make our institutions less safe. It could create increased tension, anger and behavioural issues that would lead to more violence in our prisons. This would also put staff and those who work in these environments at risk.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391910\" data-originallang=\"en\">The government is also concerned that Bill <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C-232</a> would be likely to exacerbate the experience of indigenous people in maximum security. It would further limit their access to culturally appropriate interventions and programming, as well as conditional releases. Furthermore, the bill would create significant charter concerns because of its application to current inmates and its ability to negatively impact their prospects for conditional release.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391911\" data-originallang=\"en\">An offender's classification must be a dynamic process, not a static label that is assigned at the time of their sentencing.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391912\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Let me be clear: Our government agrees that we need tough sentences for violent criminals. Indeed, when individuals have committed serious crimes, they must serve their time. The bill makes for catchy sound bites and clips, but our responsibility to Canadians is to pursue policies that will actually make our communities safer. Evidence has shown that effective rehabilitation and reintegration programming are an essential part of ensuring public safety.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391913\" data-originallang=\"en\">Under the existing system, an offender is placed in maximum security when they pose a threat to the public, to staff or to the security of the institution, and they remain there until their risk factors are mitigated. Objective risk assessments must first prove it is safe before any easing of restrictions can occur. Even then, they occur gradually and are closely monitored.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391914\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Bill <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C-232</a> would make our communities less safe, because it puts political will ahead of evidence of what works most effectively to increase public safety. Canadians deserve better. For those reasons, I urge all members to vote against Bill C-232.</p>",
        "fr": "<p data-HoCid=\"9391901\" data-originallang=\"en\">Monsieur le Pr\u00e9sident, assurer la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 des Canadiens est une priorit\u00e9 absolue non seulement pour le gouvernement, mais aussi pour tous les d\u00e9put\u00e9s \u00e0 la Chambre.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391902\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C\u2011232</a> propose de nouvelles r\u00e8gles qui exigeraient que les d\u00e9linquants dangereux et les individus reconnus coupables de plus d'un meurtre au premier degr\u00e9 purgent la totalit\u00e9 de leur peine dans un \u00e9tablissement \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale. Le projet de loi maintient qu'une telle mesure contribuerait \u00e0 la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391903\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le gouvernement soutient les victimes et tous les Canadiens qui veulent assurer la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 de nos collectivit\u00e9s. Nous comprenons l'intention derri\u00e8re ce projet de loi, mais nous croyons que l'approche propos\u00e9e dans le projet de loi comporte des lacunes importantes.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391904\" data-originallang=\"en\">Premi\u00e8rement, le projet de loi va \u00e0 l'encontre de l'objectif et des principes m\u00eames qui sous-tendent le syst\u00e8me correctionnel f\u00e9d\u00e9ral et son mandat: assurer la r\u00e9adaptation et la r\u00e9insertion sociale des d\u00e9linquants. La grande majorit\u00e9 des d\u00e9linquants retournent dans la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 apr\u00e8s avoir purg\u00e9 leur peine. L'objectif est de veiller \u00e0 ce qu'ils le fassent en tant que membres de la collectivit\u00e9 productifs et respectueux des lois. \u00c0 elles seules, les peines ne rendent pas nos collectivit\u00e9s plus s\u00fbres. Il faut aussi miser sur la r\u00e9adaptation.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391905\" data-originallang=\"en\">La Loi sur le syst\u00e8me correctionnel et la mise en libert\u00e9 sous condition est soigneusement con\u00e7ue pour \u00e9tablir un \u00e9quilibre entre la punition, la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique et l'\u00e9ventuelle r\u00e9insertion sociale des d\u00e9linquants. Elle est con\u00e7ue pour garantir que le transf\u00e8rement d'un d\u00e9linquant vers un \u00e9tablissement \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 moyenne ou minimale ne se produit que lorsqu'il ne repr\u00e9sente plus un risque indu pour la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 et qu'il peut \u00eatre g\u00e9r\u00e9 en toute s\u00e9curit\u00e9.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391906\" data-originallang=\"en\">Toutes les d\u00e9cisions relatives aux transf\u00e8rements reposent sur des \u00e9valuations professionnelles approfondies men\u00e9es par des \u00e9quipes de gestion de cas, des psychiatres et des professionnels de la s\u00e9curit\u00e9. Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C\u2011232</a> porterait atteinte \u00e0 l'expertise des professionnels du milieu correctionnel et lierait les mains des personnes charg\u00e9es de la gestion de ces d\u00e9linquants. Les \u00e9tablissements \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale sont, par n\u00e9cessit\u00e9, des environnements hautement restrictifs ax\u00e9s principalement sur le confinement. Ils offrent aux d\u00e9linquants moins de possibilit\u00e9s d'acc\u00e8s aux programmes n\u00e9cessaires, tels que l'\u00e9ducation, les traitements li\u00e9s \u00e0 la violence conjugale et \u00e0 la toxicomanie, ainsi que la formation professionnelle et l'acquisition de comp\u00e9tences, qui les aident \u00e0 sortir de la criminalit\u00e9. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391907\" data-originallang=\"en\">Des ann\u00e9es de donn\u00e9es empiriques nous ont montr\u00e9 que l'acc\u00e8s \u00e0 ces programmes est un outil \u00e9prouv\u00e9 pour la r\u00e9adaptation. Ces programmes sont plus facilement accessibles dans les \u00e9tablissements \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 minimale. En maintenant les d\u00e9linquants en s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale plus longtemps que n\u00e9cessaire, nous emp\u00eachons les d\u00e9linquants purgeant des peines d\u00e9termin\u00e9es de b\u00e9n\u00e9ficier du traitement et de la formation professionnelle dont ils ont besoin pour r\u00e9int\u00e9grer la soci\u00e9t\u00e9 en toute s\u00e9curit\u00e9 \u00e0 leur lib\u00e9ration. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391908\" data-originallang=\"en\">En d'autres termes, en exigeant que les d\u00e9linquants restent en s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale ind\u00e9pendamment de leur comportement, de la r\u00e9ussite des programmes ou de la r\u00e9duction du risque, nous obtiendrions en fait le contraire de l'objectif d\u00e9clar\u00e9 du projet de loi. Maintenir les d\u00e9linquants dans des prisons \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale ne signifie pas qu'ils ne r\u00e9int\u00e9greront jamais la soci\u00e9t\u00e9. Cela signifie que nous manquons \u00e0 notre responsabilit\u00e9 de veiller \u00e0 la r\u00e9adaptation efficace des d\u00e9linquants et \u00e0 leur r\u00e9insertion social en toute s\u00e9curit\u00e9 lorsqu'ils retournent dans la collectivit\u00e9. </p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391909\" data-originallang=\"en\">La v\u00e9rit\u00e9, c'est que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C\u2011232</a> nuirait \u00e0 la s\u00e9curit\u00e9, parce que les d\u00e9tenus \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale seraient directement lib\u00e9r\u00e9s dans la collectivit\u00e9 sans aucune possibilit\u00e9 de r\u00e9adaptation. En outre, restreindre l'acc\u00e8s aux programmes dont les d\u00e9linquants ont besoin pour corriger leurs comportements criminels finirait par rendre nos \u00e9tablissements moins s\u00fbrs en intensifiant les tensions, la col\u00e8re et les probl\u00e8mes de comportement, ce qui augmenterait la violence dans nos prisons. Cela mettrait \u00e9galement en danger le personnel et les personnes qui travaillent dans ces milieux.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391910\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le gouvernement craint \u00e9galement que le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C\u2011232</a> n'empire la situation des Autochtones dans les \u00e9tablissements \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale. Il limiterait davantage leur acc\u00e8s \u00e0 des interventions et \u00e0 des programmes adapt\u00e9s \u00e0 leur culture, ainsi qu'\u00e0 la mise en libert\u00e9 sous condition. De plus, le projet de loi soul\u00e8verait d'importantes pr\u00e9occupations li\u00e9es \u00e0 la Charte puisqu'il s'appliquerait aux d\u00e9tenus actuels et pourrait compromettre leurs chances d'obtenir une mise en libert\u00e9 sous condition.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391911\" data-originallang=\"en\">La classification d'un d\u00e9linquant doit \u00eatre un processus dynamique, et non une \u00e9tiquette fig\u00e9e attribu\u00e9e au moment du prononc\u00e9 de la peine.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391912\" data-originallang=\"en\"> Soyons clairs: le gouvernement convient qu'il faut imposer des peines s\u00e9v\u00e8res aux criminels violents. En effet, toute personne ayant commis un crime grave doit purger sa peine. Le projet de loi donne lieu \u00e0 des d\u00e9clarations et des extraits m\u00e9diatiques accrocheurs, mais notre responsabilit\u00e9 envers les Canadiens est d'adopter des politiques qui rendront r\u00e9ellement nos communaut\u00e9s plus s\u00fbres. Il est prouv\u00e9 que des programmes efficaces de r\u00e9adaptation et de r\u00e9insertion sociale sont essentiels pour garantir la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391913\" data-originallang=\"en\">Dans le cadre du syst\u00e8me actuel, un d\u00e9tenu est plac\u00e9 dans un \u00e9tablissement \u00e0 s\u00e9curit\u00e9 maximale lorsqu'il repr\u00e9sente un danger pour le public, le personnel ou la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 de l'\u00e9tablissement, et il y reste jusqu'\u00e0 att\u00e9nuation des facteurs de risque. Des \u00e9valuations objectives des risques doivent d'abord \u00e9tablir que le d\u00e9tenu ne repr\u00e9sente plus un danger avant que tout assouplissement des restrictions puisse \u00eatre envisag\u00e9. M\u00eame dans ce cas, ces assouplissements sont progressifs et \u00e9troitement surveill\u00e9s.</p>\n<p data-HoCid=\"9391914\" data-originallang=\"en\">Le projet de loi <a data-HoCid=\"13585516\" href=\"/bills/45-1/C-232/\" title=\"An Act to amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act (maximum security offenders)\">C\u2011232</a> compromettrait la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 de nos communaut\u00e9s, car il fait passer la volont\u00e9 politique avant les donn\u00e9es factuelles qui montrent ce qui fonctionne le mieux pour renforcer la s\u00e9curit\u00e9 publique. Les Canadiens m\u00e9ritent mieux que cela. Pour ces raisons, j'exhorte tous les d\u00e9put\u00e9s \u00e0 voter contre le projet de loi</p>"
    },
    "url": "/debates/2026/6/9/tom-osborne-1/",
    "politician_url": "/politicians/tom-osborne/",
    "politician_membership_url": "/politicians/memberships/4668/",
    "procedural": false,
    "source_id": "13565855",
    "h1": {
        "en": "Private Members' Business",
        "fr": "Affaires \u00e9manant des d\u00e9put\u00e9s"
    },
    "h2": {
        "en": "Corrections and Conditional Release Act",
        "fr": "La Loi sur le syst\u00e8me correctionnel et la mise en libert\u00e9 sous condition"
    },
    "document_url": "/debates/2026/6/9/",
    "related": {
        "document_speeches_url": "/speeches/?document=%2Fdebates%2F2026%2F6%2F9%2F"
    }
}