"Fresh meat"

Say what you will about Gilles Duceppe, dude can turn a phrase.

Mr. Duceppe had stated that teenaged criminals sent to prison under Mr. Harper's plan to crack down on youth crime would be “fresh meat” for the perversions of adult inmates. “We all know what happens in prison,” Mr. Duceppe told reporters after meeting with union leaders.

“They will be fresh meat, let's not kid ourselves.”

Steve is clutching his pearls of course:

"Here, he has passed the limit," he said. "Rather than debate ideas, Mr. Duceppe is saying extreme, irresponsible, and unacceptable things. Things he himself knows to be false."

Really Steve? You're quite sure about that? Don't tell this judge:

WINNIPEG - A Winnipeg judge warned two violent young offenders Monday that they face bleak futures - which could include being raped in federal prison - if they don't turn their troubled lives around.

"Next stop is Stony Mountain," provincial court Judge Ronald Meyers told a 17-year-old boy, who along with a 15-year-old pleaded guilty to three armed robberies of Winnipeg businesses.

"I don't know whether you're prepared to consider yourself the girlfriend of some guy in there. But that's what awaits you. An 18-year-old fresh face comes in and it's fair game. Think about that."

And unfortunately its not just the other prisoners to worry about:

The Canadian Press OTTAWA -- The Supreme Court of Canada has awarded $140,000 to a B.C. man who suffered sexual abuse at the hands of a jail guard -- reducing the amount awarded by a lower court by almost half.

Dean Zastowny, who has spent much of his adult life in prison, claimed his career in crime was partly due to psychological damage from the abuse.

.....

Zastowny is one of dozens of prisoners MacDougall allegedly preyed on.

"He targeted younger inmates, inmates who had been sexually abused in the past and/or inmates who had little experience in jail,'' according to one statement of claim.

In fact, as the organization Stop Prisoner Rape submitted to the House and Senate the last time the Tories went on a bread and water kick, in Canada the prisons are safer, at least compared to the nightmarish dungeons in the US, but only because:

Based in the United States, SPR is a human rights organization committed to ending sexual violence against men, women, and children in all forms of detention. The organization recently conducted a fact-finding mission in Canada to assess what makes Canadian institutions generally safer than their U.S. counterparts. The SPR delegation determined that the manageable size of the prison population, stemming directly from Canada’s reasoned laws that afford judges discretion in sentencing, has played a critical role in maintaining safe facilities.

and

The U.S. experience with prison overcrowding has made it painfully clear that violence, particularly sexual violence, proliferates when correctional facilities house too many inmates. In addition, there is a direct link between prison overcrowding and community violence. Virtually all inmates are ultimately released, bringing their prison experiences, including learned violent behavior, back to their communities. The experience of the U.S. illustrates the significant problems that may develop if Canada adopts the proposed harsh sentencing laws. Bills C-9 and C-10 would make the prison population in Canada increase significantly, causing Canadian prisons and detention centers to become larger, more difficult to manage, and more violent. Notably, the prisoners affected by these laws would not be the most dangerous and violent offenders, but rather those for whom a judge identified factors that supported community supervision or a minimal prison term. These defendants are among the most vulnerable to abuse in prison, and have the greatest prospect for rehabilitation in the community.

Gilles Duceppe was stating the simple facts.