The Walkerton and Owen Sound jails may merely be echoing the sounds of the past now that they’re officially closed, but one thing that definitely is being heard and seen now and will continue going forward is the total lack of planning on the Liberal government’s part about the closings in the first place.
News last week tell of incompetent procedures where an inmate could possibly be released from custody while attending court in Walkerton or Owen Sound, but would then be forced to find his/her own way back up to Penetanguishene to pick up their personal belongings. It seems even when travelling down for a possible last appearance, they’re not allowed to bring along their own stuff.
Then comes news of corrections minister Madeleine Meilleur’s reply to Dr. Hazel Lynn, Grey Bruce Medical Officer’s letter. She reportedly said the ministry was saving $150 a day ($125 compared to $275) to house prisoners up in Penetang (the same line they’ve used since this all started last spring).
What she apparently forgot was to take into account the $2.30 per kilometre being paid to the OPP to transfer the inmates back and forth. With Walkerton being approximately 158 kilometres away, that’s $726.80 per round trip and that doesn’t even take into account the wages of the officers doing the transferring or the wear and tear on the vehicles.
I don’t think it takes an accountant to add up the numbers and realize that the sooner the government owns up to this ridiculous mistake and agrees to build a new regional centre in Bruce-Grey, the sooner those urban politicians can stop wasting tax dollars and creating dangerous, and unfair conditions for those being transported. But it might take another election for that to happen.