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432-00622 (Correctional system)

Paper petition

Original language of petition: English

PETITION TO THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

Whereas:

  • Correctional Service Canada has a mandate to provide effective rehabilitation and reintegration programming for prisoners;
  • Prisoner rehabilitation should not involve sexual or physical violence;
  • Joyceville Institution is establishing a dairy operation which will involve prisoners inseminating animals and assisting in the slaughter process;
  • Violence towards animals will put prisoners at risk of trauma and emotional dissonance;
  • Prisoners at Joyceville Institution have voted against a dairy program and in favour of plant-based agriculture and a sanctuary model of animal therapy;
  • Animal agriculture is not a model of animal therapy;
  • Prison programs should not be used to advance commercial interests;
  • Milk from the prison program will reportedly go to the Feihe International infant formula factory where it will be processed and shipped to China;
  • The government is committed to implementing evidence-based practices and policies;
  • Research finds that even the lowest impact meat and dairy products cause much more environmental harm than the least sustainable plant products; and
  • Prison farms should uphold justice in relation to prisoners, animals, and the environment.

We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to:

1) overturn the decision to establish prison dairy operations;

2) establish prison farms that prioritize ecological sensitivity and climate change solutions; and

3) prevent use of animals in rehabilitation programs except under sanctuary or animal therapy models.

Response by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

Signed by (Minister or Parliamentary Secretary): Joël Lightbound, M.P.

The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is focused on providing a correctional environment conducive to inmate rehabilitation, which is also in the interest of public safety. With this objective in mind, on June 21, 2018, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness announced that the Government of Canada would be reopening the penitentiary farms in Kingston, Ontario. The reopening of the farms represents a renewal of the penitentiary farms model that includes additional technical skills, certifications, and community partnerships. The farms provide on-the-job training, vocational certification, and employability skills that support offenders in their reintegration. The Penitentiary Farm Program helps federal inmates find meaningful employment, which is an important contributing factor to their successful reintegration. Offenders who find jobs in the community are three times less likely to return to CSC's custody for a new offence.

The Penitentiary Farm program commenced implementation in 2018, and full implementation will be over five years. CSC is taking a phased approach to implement new penitentiary models for farm operations at Collins Bay and Joyceville institutions. The new model for penitentiary farm operations at Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions was determined following a broad range of public consultations and included dairy cow and dairy goat operations in addition to land management, horticulture, bee-keeping, and crop production at both Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions. Since the announcement, CSC has continued to explore other opportunities to incorporate into the model and will continue to do so. The penitentiary farm operations are being implemented in accordance with all relevant legislation and policy. Procedures are being integrated within the penitentiary farm operations that respect both provincial and federal government legislation and practices, and in accordance with industry standards, as it relates to farm animal welfare, and including appropriate biosecurity measures.

On March 5, 2021, CSC announced an update on its Penitentiary Farm Program. CSC has updated its Penitentiary Farm Program at Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions to focus its dairy operations on the dairy cow program and temporarily pause plans for its dairy goat program. This decision was made after careful review of all factors surrounding the farm operations, and in light of financial challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic. CSC will resume the dairy goat program once the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic can be fully assessed. In the meantime, CSC will continue to engage with community members and stakeholders, and proceed with continuing to implement the dairy cow operations, including construction of a new barn at Joyceville Institution

In addition to assisting with the launch of dairy cow operations, inmates have also been involved in various other farm related activities including crop production, horticulture, beekeeping, maple syrup production, fence repair, green zone/environmental activities, forestry management and livestock care/operations. The land size at Collins Bay and Joyceville Institutions includes land that buildings are located on, woodlots, sugar bush, orchard, greenspace and other uses. Thus, of the total size between the two sites is approximately 860 acres of workable land. CSC is further developing training programs with the production of organic crops at Collins Bay Institution. CSC has registered a field at Collins Bay Institution for organic farming to provide offenders with the opportunity to learn about this type of crop production. In 2019 and 2020, land repair, crop production, and continued development of green zone continued at Collins Bay Institution. In 2019, crop production was commenced at Joyceville Institution and continued in 2020. In 2021 and beyond, CSC will continually improve the land utilization and in consideration of environmental aspects.  To date, there were various crops grown and harvested between the two sites including corn, barley, soybeans and hay. In addition, in 2019, CSC began work to revitalize an orchard at Joyceville Institution, which contains several varieties of apple trees. In 2020, CORCAN worked with Indigenous Initiatives to enhance the maple sugar bush utilization as part of the training program at Joyceville Institution. CSC is also continuing to work with various partners and will incorporate plans for flowers, plants and trees as part of developing environmentally friendly aspects into the farmland and to contribute to natural species in the area, as well as items for use in cultural ceremonies.

In 2018, two honeybee hives were set up at Collins Bay Institution, incorporating research by an Ontario university student and vocational training through a college and expanding each year to include 20 hives at each site for 2020, with the same number planned for 2021. Commencing in May 2019, young dairy and beef cattle have been acquired to begin building the dairy cattle herd, while also having stocker (beef) cattle for pasturing. At present, there are 68 cows at the penitentiary farms, including 36 dairy heifers and 32 beef cattle. All of the cattle are housed at Collins Bay Institution at present and pasture will be used at both sites in the Spring of 2021. New calves are introduced as part of the cycle of farming including consumption of milk. There is no other type of livestock currently at the farms. 

CSC does not currently have agreements with third parties for the sale of goat milk produced at the penitentiary farms. These arrangements will be made at the appropriate time during the implementation of the program.

To provide a variety of land based activities, CSC’s offender employment program includes crop production at both sites as well as offenders at both institutions are involved in growing vegetables for their own consumption, as well as for donation to local food banks. This model incorporates land based activities that result in items for internal use, donation, as well as opportunities to generate revenues that will be reinvested into the offender employment and employability program.

The sale of products generated through the farm program, including produce, crops, milk, and other potential by-products of these operations will be determined by internal use requirements, agreements and contracts signed as implementation occurs and products are available. The diversified penitentiary farm program activities, including both livestock and land based elements, contribute to offender learning and provide the opportunity to represent various parts of the broad spectrum of agriculture activities in Canada. CSC will continually be re-evaluating its operations as the plan is executed and will be taking into account elements such as sustainability and market availability, noting that dairy cow milk will be managed in accordance with Canada’s system of supply management for this product. All revenues generated will be reinvested into the offender employment and employability program.

Presented to the House of Commons
Elizabeth May (Saanich—Gulf Islands)
March 9, 2021 (Petition No. 432-00622)
Government response tabled
April 22, 2021
Photo - Elizabeth May
Saanich—Gulf Islands
Green Party Caucus
British Columbia

Only validated signatures are counted towards the total number of signatures.