Older Offenders In Prisons

In addition, the demographic shift in the general population not only had an affect on the increase in the average age of the prison population, but has also increased the average age of admission. In fact, the average age of the offender population in custody is 33 years old and has increased slightly each year (Government of Canada, 2013). Similar to Quebec, an increasing amount of individuals are entering prison later in life. In 2009-2010, a little over 20% of admissions to federal custody were of offenders between the ages of 40 to 49. Moreover, these offenders are considered older when entering prison for the first time (Government of Canada, 2013). In Quebec, the increase of older offenders in prison is marked by the decrease of offenders

Due to the increase of population through the aging Baby Boom generation, more people were at an age where they we more likely to offend than any other age cohort. In turn, since the majority of the Baby Boomers were at the peak in a criminological career, aged 18 to 25, this may be the reason that there was an increase of incarcerated individuals from the 1960’s to 1980’s (Boe, 2010). Moreover, this hypothesis may explain and take into account the older offender’s that are serving longer sentences or are career criminals. Moreover, South & Messner (2000) summarize the demographic hypothesis by stated that the changes in crime are attributed to the changing number of individuals represented in a population. Specifically, an increase in the number of older individuals increases the number of older individuals who commit crimes. In addition, the authors also suggest that changes in behaviours related to the increase of older individuals can also increase the rate at which older individual commit crime (South & Messner,

Mandatory minimum sentences have been considered the trademark for the tough on crime agenda of the Conservative government between 2006 and 2015. Mandatory minimum sentences were set out to ensure that the severity of the sentence matches the severity of the crime (Mallea, 2010). This was a “one sizes fits all” approach that ensured that every offender received a mandatory minimum sentences for offences that provoke the most societal fear (Comack, Burgher & Fabre, 2015). As such, mandatory minimum sentences have directly influenced an individual’s sentence length as it has reduced the chance of any judge discretion to a particular case. The majority of mandatory minimums were introduced between 2005-2015 (Department of Justice, 2015). The mandatory minimum laws were implemented to provide harsher minimum penalties as well as new frameworks for crimes related to drug offences, firearm offences and sexual offences. Mandatory minimum sentence were enacted for crimes related to treason, first and second-degree murder, in which the offenders will serve 25 years in prison (Allen, 2017). In 2013, there were 4,800 offenders serving life sentences in Canada (Chang, 2015). The second category is composed of 16 offences which all include the use or possession of a firearm.