- Target:
- government
- Region:
- Canada
Correctional Service of Canada policy requires all offenders convicted of first- and second-degree murder to spend at least two years in maximum security, but Sun Media reported that 30% are dodging hard time since wardens were given discretion to declare exceptions in September 2005.
CSC maintains extra costs and lack of capacity aren't factors, but the union representing prison guards believes it boils down to dollars and prison capacity. "Our max are full and now they're trying to house those maximum inmates in medium-security environments - and it's not going very well at all," said Sylvain Martel, president of the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers. "If you look at the violence we have in our institutions, it's just astronomical."
The two-years-in-max policy is prudent to give time for authorities to properly evaluate risk and to give the murderer time to reflect on the gravity of their crime, he said.
Of the 80 murderers convicted since the CSC policy was quietly amended in September 2005, 24 bypassed the two years in max, including three of seven women murderers.
Melissa Babineau was convicted of murdering two-year-old Rebbecca Haney then stuffing her tiny body in a garbage bag this past April. Handing her a life sentence, an Ontario judge declared her a "dangerous person" who acted "ruthlessly to mislead authorities and save her own skin."
We, the undersigned, call on Canadian officials to stand behind their laws and make murderers serve their maximum security time.
You can further help this campaign by sponsoring it
The Maximum security time necessary, don't take that away petition to government was written by paige gillis and is in the category Government at GoPetition.