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e-2423 (Correctional system)

E-petition
Initiated by Calvin Neufeld from Perth, Ontario

Original language of petition: English

Petition to the Government of Canada

Whereas:
  • Joyceville Institution is slated to become the site of an intensive goat dairy facility for up to 1500 goats;
  • This penal agribusiness will supply the Feihe International infant formula factory in Kingston for export to China;
  • Joyceville Institution borders the Rideau Canal system and the UNESCO designated Frontenac Arch Biosphere Reserve;
  • Joyceville Institution is located in immediate proximity (1 km - 5 km) to an elementary school, a community playground, a golf and country club, a church, and numerous residential homes and family farms in an area interspersed with campgrounds, sensitive waterways, and tourist opportunities;
  • Intensive animal agriculture will impose a significant environmental burden, causing air and odor pollution, industrial traffic, and potential contamination of groundwater, local lands and waterways;
  • This form of industrial agribusiness at a federal penitentiary represents unfair market competition from a taxpayer-funded institution; and
  • Canadians are unwilling to bear the financial, ethical, and environmental burdens of a government-funded prison factory farm.
We, the undersigned, Citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to prevent the Correctional Service of Canada from establishing an industrial goat factory at Joyceville Institution.

Response by the Minister of Public Safety and Emergency Preparedness

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

The government 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 new model for penitentiary farm operations at Joyceville and Collins Bay Institutions includes dairy cow and dairy goat operations in addition to land management, horticulture, and crop production. 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. Offenders are involved in building and renovating necessary infrastructure, as well as working to repair and rebuild farmland, in addition to crop production. 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.

Correctional Service Canada (CSC) conducted an online consultation of the Canadian public, from June 2, 2016 to August 4, 2016, regarding the feasibility of re-establishing the penitentiary farms. The objective of the online consultation was to gather views and ideas from a variety of community members and stakeholders for the future of institutional agribusiness, more particularly for the farms at Joyceville and Collins Bay penitentiaries in the Kingston area.

The results revealed that the perceived benefits of institutional agribusiness were largely recognized by the online consultation respondents, including its positive impact on employment opportunities and on the use of CSC land.

In addition to the online consultation, a town hall was held in Kingston, Ontario, on August 16, 2016. A report prepared on the town hall consultation notes that, of the 300 people who attended, all, with the exception of two critics of the very notion of penitentiaries, were strong supporters of penitentiary farm-based rehabilitation and employment programs, both animal and plant-based.

On May 11, 2017, CSC announced an advisory panel that was established to provide non-binding advice about the potential reopening of penitentiary farms at Collins Bay and Joyceville Institutions in Kingston, Ontario. The panel is comprised of seven volunteer members who engaged with CSC, including CORCAN representatives and community stakeholders. Its purpose is to assist CSC to better understand potential farm industry operations, explore new business ideas and promote partnerships to provide vocational, on-the-job and transferable skills training for offenders while they are incarcerated and to support their employability upon release to the community. Since the announcement in Budget 2018, CSC has been working closely with the Farm Advisory Panel, as well as other organizations and government agencies, including land management, livestock operations, and infrastructure needs.

This includes working with environmental agencies to ensure that decisions related to operations take into consideration mitigation strategies. This includes consideration of environmental impacts when planning activities considering a variety of factors including land management, waterways, forest management, and species at risk for both livestock and non-livestock operations. 

Throughout 2018-2019 and moving forward, offenders are participating in on the job and vocational training through renovation and construction activities associated with infrastructure needed for the new farming operations.  In May 2018, at Collins Bay Institution, offenders commenced working to rebuild and repair the agriculture land, including planting and harvesting approximately 203 acres of soybeans.

CSC is further developing training programs with the production of organic crops at Collins Bay. 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 2019-2020, land repair and crop production, and development of green zone continued at Collins Bay Institution. Crop production was commenced at Joyceville Institution. This work will continue on an annual basis, continually improving the land utilization and in consideration of environmental aspects.  There were four crops grown and harvested between the two sites including corn, barley, soybeans and hay. During the 2019 cropping year, CSC also worked on revitalizing an orchard at Joyceville Institution, which contains several varieties of apple trees.  CSC will partner with other government departments to develop and protect this orchard. CSC is also working with various partners and will incorporate flowers, plants and trees plans 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. Offenders at both institutions are involved in growing vegetables for their own consumption, as well as for donation.

In 2018, two honeybee hives were set up at Collins Bay Institution, incorporating research by Ontario university students and vocational training through a college.  This was very successful and in May 2019, 10 beehives were established at each site to continue to build this aspect of the program, with further plans for 2020.   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 24 dairy cattle and 7 beef cattle housed at Collins Bay Institution.

The dairy cattle are housed at Collins Bay Institution until the new dairy cow barn is ready at Joyceville Institution. It is anticipated that the dairy cow herd size will be approximately 60. The arrival of the dairy goat herd, is expected to commence in 2020.

Young goats will be housed at Collins Bay Institution until they reach the age for milking at which time they will be moved to a new dairy goat barn that will be constructed at Joyceville Institution. The exact size of the goat herd will be determined by operational and market capacities as the plan progresses. 

Products generated through the farm program, including produce, crops, cow and goat 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.

Open for signature
February 28, 2020, at 12:31 p.m. (EDT)
Closed for signature
March 29, 2020, at 12:31 p.m. (EDT)
Presented to the House of Commons
Scott Reid (Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston)
April 28, 2020 (Petition No. 431-00162)
Government response tabled
July 20, 2020
Photo - Scott Reid
Lanark—Frontenac—Kingston
Conservative Caucus
Ontario