Pros And Cons Of Parole And Parole

Parole and mandatory minimum sentences are both controversial topics within the criminal justice system. “…to many Canadians, parole is the very definition of justice gone soft.” (Fine, 2016). Where mandatory minimums are more heavily supported by the community parole is often criticized. This is unjust because the adverse effects of a sentence without some type of reintegration back into society can be extremely harmful to the inmate and the community. “Parole is the system’s way of taking a calculated risk. Why take any risk at all? Because the alternative is seen to be worse: No incentive for good behaviour.”(Fine, 2016). This distrust in the parole system leads the public to support the idea of mandatory minimum sentences in the case of

Doubt is also cast upon the system because some conditions of parole violated constitutional rights; “…the Conservatives abolished the requirement for the Parole Board of Canada to hold an oral hearing following the suspension, termination or revocation of parole or statutory release.” (The Globe and Mail, 2016). This leads to questioning of the fairness of the criminal justice system as whole. This message is implied by Jim Bronskill’s article titled Liberals eye exceptions to mandatory minimum sentences on the Globe and Mail website as well as Kathleen Harris’ article titled Supreme Court strikes down 2 Conservative sentencing reforms on CBC’s website. These two articles discuss the same case of mandatory minimum sentences for certain drug offenses being stuck down by the supreme court of Canada. Both frame the situation in a way that promotes the Liberal perspective. Advocating for the use of parole to its fullest abilities and removing mandatory minimum sentences not just in the context of the drug cases that were specified, but in general. In juxtaposition to that concept the conservatives believe these mandatory minimums “…send a stern warning that some crimes carry stiff penalties.” (Bronskill, 2016). In spite of that, the Liberals recognize that deterrence is

These two articles clearly display to the reader the pitfalls mandatory minimums sentences can have in the context of certain drug offenses. Illustrating the restrictions mandatory minimums place on a judge’s ability to use their experience and knowledge to assert the right type of punishment over those convicted of crimes. , “Canadians lose confidence in the criminal justice system when the sentence doesn’t fit the crime,” – Michael Cooper (Harris, 2016). This reformation of the courts showed the public that fairness is the focus of the justice system and not just deterrence and or