Penticton Herald Staff Thursday, February 10, 2011
Kelowna‘s mayor will try to convince both the Lake Country and the Okanagan Indian Band that the city‘s northernmost boundary is the right place for a jail. “I know Lake Country and the band are opposed, but when we meet, I hope we can figure out a way to work together on this,” said Mayor Sharon Shepherd after delivering her annual state of the city address to a Kelowna Chamber of Commerce lunch crowd Wednesday at the Coast Capri Hotel. “A prison, I guess I should call it a correctional facility, is needed in the Okanagan and it will provide many economic benefits.” The mayor didn‘t know the exact date of her meeting with representatives from Lake Country and the band, but said it was in a couple of weeks. The 360-cell minimum security jail (for prisoners serving a term of less than two years) has become a political and social hot potato in the Valley. B.C. Solicitor General Rich Coleman sent a letter to 11 Okanagan communities asking if they were interested in housing the jail. Some said no right away – West Kelowna, Peachland and Enderby.
2 comments:
I am sure Lake Country would not object if the prison or "correctional facility" would be built close to the center of Kelowna and not close to the center of Lake Country. The NIMBY syndrome in this case is Kelowna's domain.
Time for a new approach?
In the October 25/10 issue of Maclean's: "National Crime Rankings: A Maclean's Exclusive" it was found that cities in the east had less crime. Quebec in particular.
"[Tanya] Trussler also notes Quebec's focus on social programs. 'If you recognize poverty as something that creates criminal behaviour, that would make sense for explaining why Quebec is lower than Alberta."
"Alberta is very much oriented around punishment rather than prevention."
Margaret Shaw of the Montreal-based International Centre for the Prevention of Crime, says Quebec has long embraced diversion programs that keep youth out of the criminal justice system and instead " got them into the community, into mediation, into centres where they can stay and work, and work on their issues. ..."
Post a Comment