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Friday March 20 Prison alternatives studied Elizabeth Fry Society told Gillian tide man common market hat the prisoner a consent was important Some of the countries which depend on migrant labor dan want to support these people in their prisons they jus I want to send them home said The final amendment reads cither with the consent of the prisoner or in his interest Many of the people who were arguing in Venezuela for the offender international level will not do so in Canada she Within our federal system you can ship someone anywhere in the name of peace and quiet she noted Of the operant principle is the reintegration people into society how can we have principles on an international scale but not a I home alternatives to imprison is becoming an internationally lodged concern accord ing to Gillian Sandeman executive director of the Toronto branch of the Elizabeth Fry Society about passing year sentence Sande man commented The two week con gress attended by justice and corrections officials from all over the world designed to provide of the volunteer organization Peel ton branch told of her part in last Octobers United Nations UN Congress on the Preven tion of Crime and Treat ment of Offenders held in Caracas Venezuela There the pointed out Never Canadian delegation theless a definite level of which included both improvement in the government and vol treatment of offenders untary agency repres- worldwide can be traced presented two to such UN activities as resolutions to the con- the congress I found an international level In effect its purpose is to shame and embarrass progressive tries into meeting certain regulations Canada doesn t al ways meet these rules in prisons Sandeman One as in favor of an international prisoner exchange program the other supported alter natives to imprisonment The Idea of alter natives originally came from the Howard League in England Sandeman explained The Howard League is the John How Society British cousin They presented a tough resolution that moot lively debates imprisonment be used those run by the rarely and only for governmental sector dangerous offenders We didn t have to They felt that the notion phone home to Ottawa to of mandatory sentences check what to say that at an international level things move very slowly but they do move in her capacity as an Elizabeth Fry member represented one of the few voluntary agencies Involved in Justice and corrections as well as one of the few women attending the congress As such she found the minimum offences be I hough the resolution did not pass as written it was the first congress there have been six to date where alternatives to Imprison ment were discussed Eventually people will find frit that if you Imprison less people the crime rates won go up Sandeman said When discussing the matter with a judge from Holland a country unl que for lis low rates man asked how the change in public attitude toward the viability of imprisoning offenders had evolved In that country a five year sen I3 considered unus ually harsh The judge replied that the first step was in con vinelng the judiciary that imprisonment ways tin answer as Ihey pass the sentences He I was upset when he found he had to give a two vear sentence lauahed We could speak from the heart The second resolution backed by the Canadian delegation concerned ex change agreements be tween member nations As the comers of the earth become more and more accessible the modern traveller the possibility of ending up In a foreign prison in creases The resolution Involves an agreement between two countries allowing prisoners to return to their home base and serve sentences there Its better to serve your sentence home because that facilltitates reintegration into society said The Canadian ion also proposed giving the prisoner the to decide whether he wished to return to his native country or remain in a foreign prison However members were unable to persuade other countries particularly a Since Fry Society is concerned with the female offender was also in tcrcstcd in presenting a resolution about the specific needs of women prisoi There arc only small number of offenders around the world and they do not receive tht same ion as the men explained congress to consider alternatives for and men interest In corrections began In 1172 when she served as a volunteer with the Probation Service later becoming a probation and parole officer for the Ministry of Correctional Sirviccs From 1975 to 1377 she acted us a member of the provincial parliament was Corrections Critic for the Ontario New Democratic party caucus and belonged to the Standing Committee on the Administration Justice appointed Elizabeth Fry Society Toronto branch in Formerly she was an editorial commentator and news broadcaster for CHEX radio and tele- executive director of the v Peterborough Toronto Sandeman is also president elect the Canadian for the Prevention of Crime and a board member of Nellie Hostel In DRIVE A LITTLESAVE A LOT THE OLD GLEN MILL 586 MAIN ST GLEN WILLIAMS