Prison Farm

Kathy Gazzellone | Mar 17, 2021

If someone with experience and knowledge about goat farming is raising concerns about the proposal to invest in a large scale goat dairy operation to be run by inmates at Joyceville Penitentiary by Correctional Services Canada (CSC), shouldn't they be listening?

Dick Boogerd has 12 years experience running a 500 head goat farm.  It's hard work and a lot of expertise is involved he says.  He and his wife had worked on dairy farms for 10 years and still found that "it was a steep learning curve" when they started.  Mr. Boogerd has admitted that the goat farm was a mistake.  

The CSC seems to think that the inmates at Joyceville Penitentiary can handle it.  Has CSC considered all the additional necessary issues involved with running a goat farm?  What will happen to the animals in case of a lockdown or outbreak of illness?  Who will be responsible for dehorning the animals or for slaughter of excess animals, or when milking is no longer viable?  Are these things that inmates are expected to do?  That doesn't sound like a useful therapeutic program offering rehabilitation.

Then there's the issue about competing unfairly with private industry.  The prison farm operates on low cost labour and receives federal government financial assistance.

The prison farm will be producing milk for Feihe International, for export to China for the production of infant formula.  What happens with regards to uncertain market disruptions?  

We are still in the midst of a pandemic.  All levels of government are spending an immense amount of tax dollars to deal with this problem.  We will have to repay this money, as will our children and their children.  Do we really need to invest more tax dollars into a farm project that is fraught with an abundance of uncertainties and unanswered questions?

As Dick Boogerd says, "They can sugar coat it any way they want.  It's not going to work."

Kathy Gazzellone