There are some stories which grab your attention.
When I saw the story published June 24 in the Slave Lake Lakeside Leader about a man being fined 60 cents, it was a no-brainer to decide to publish it July 1 in South Peace News.
Wow! Many people have expressed an opinion on Justice S.P. Hinkley’s decision!
I mean, to take a man’s last 60 cents! What was the point?
People expressing their opinion on the verdict range from why give such a small fine to throw him in jail. Want to start a good argument? If you are ever bored and want to start a lively discussion, just bring up what to do with homeless people.
In this case, the usual action taken by justice is to give the accused one day in jail. It means the penalty is paid by his appearance in court and he is set free. Many argue what is the point. Is that a real penalty where the accused suffers a real consequence for his actions? Probably not, but it is not a reach to say 60 cents is not a steep climb up the penalty ladder nor does it serve as a deterrent.
Others have great sympathy for the homeless. A comment left on the South Peace News website says: “Justice Hinkley treats vagrant trespassers as a punch line in the tragedy of homelessness.”
None of us have any idea what the justice was thinking when he levied the 60-cent fine. The only comment I would make is penalties are supposed to act as a deterrent from committing another crime. I highly doubt a 60-cent fine will serve the purpose.
Being homeless is tragic. How people fall into such a trap is very, very sad. Most, but not all, homeless have an addictions problem. It makes it extremely difficult for them to break this cycle of despair. Treatment is often very expensive and occurs over a very long time.
And never with a guarantee it will work!
Neither will a 60-cent fine!
Many, many people want to help. Ideas exist that might work but they are expensive, and governments are not willing to foot the bill for treatment. The harsh reality is, the homeless issue is a massive problem that would take a small fortune to fix. It doesn’t even count the many more who are entering this destructive cycle of despair.
To come full circle, crimes are committed and dumped in the laps of justices such as Hinkley. It must be tiring seeing the same people come before you month after month.
In Peace River and High Prairie, Slave Lake and Edmonton, Lethbridge and Wetaskiwin, homeless can be found everywhere. In each community, there are people who want to help. The questions arise: if people want to help, where are they? If so many people want to help, why are there so many homeless?
Are these people sincere or do they just say they want to help to make themselves feel better?
It is interesting to note in the Slave Lake case the Crown prosecutor, Preet Cheema, asked Justice Hinkley to consider a $500 fine. The fine range does in fact go up to $500.
But Justice Hinkley disagreed which is his prerogative. A $500 fine would likely eventually land the man in prison through an unpaid fine. What purpose would that serve? Perhaps getting him into treatment while in the slammer?
Sixty cents! The fine might seem laughable but in fact it is another symptom of a problem our society is struggling with and has no answers. To expect Justice Hinkley to have an answer is perhaps the most unlikely expectation there is in regard to the homeless problem.
Chris Clegg