Bernadette Clement, from Ontario.

Thank you all for your testimony and for your work. I’ve been a poverty law lawyer, not a criminal lawyer, so I’m learning quite a bit. I understand about the intersectionality of issues and the social determinants of health, but I didn’t really understand. You know, you could read statistics, but going into a prison is when you actually learn.

To your point, Ms. Campbell, when I went into Grand Valley Institution, I actually spoke to a correctional officer — correctional personnel. She said she had been off on mental health leave and was just returning. It just felt like it was the fragile-looking guarding the even more fragile. It just felt like there was so much fragility. It just felt horrible and unsafe for everyone. It’s a tough gig, and it’s tough every which way.

Mr. Spratt, you said that judges are aghast at how their sentences have been interpreted in practice. I wonder if that has been translated into support for this or how we could use that to support this bill. That would be my question for you.

Professor Iftene, you have published extensively. It’s impressive. In your opening statement, you referenced one report. If there is one report that we could look at to support this bill, which one would it be? I didn’t see it, so could you address that?

We’ll start with Mr. Spratt.