NCJ Number
125111
Journal
Canadian Journal of Criminology Volume: 32 Issue: 3 Dated: special issue (July 1990) Pages: 415-428
Date Published
1990
Length
14 pages
Annotation
In the past fifty years in Canada, many individuals, non-government organizations, and government committees and commissions have suggested that we imprison too many criminal offenders.
Abstract
The Canadian public is supportive of the use of community sanctions rather than imprisonment for many offenders presently being given custodial sentences. The view that imprisonment should be deemphasized as a sanction has been expressed in other parts of the world as well. This paper attempts to explain why it is, given the consensus that apparently exists, that we have not managed adequately to substitue community sanctions for imprisonment. It suggests that the reason for our apparent failure is that we do little to ensure that any sanctions are used appropriately. Without a coherent sentencing policy there seems little hope of bringing sentencing practice under control. In order to implement a policy of reduced use of imprisonment, two of the necessary conditions appear to be the enactment by Parliament of a coherent sentencing policy that endorses the use of community sanctions and a method of providing authoritative and unambiguous guidance on sentencing to judges. These two conditions, combined with a program of well-run community sanctions, are necessary to accomplish a goal that has been accepted in Canada for over half a century. 2 notes, 23 references. (Author abstract)