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From Revenge to Restoration: Evaluating General Deterrence as a Primary Sentencing Purpose for Rioters in Vancouver, British Columbia by Tania Arvanitidis B.A. (Hons), University of Guelph, 2009 Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Arts in the School of Criminology Faculty (see www.lib.sfu.ca/help/writing/theses/thesis-requirements-title-page) Tania Arvanitidis 2013 SIMON FRASER UNIVERSITY Summer 2013 All rights reserved. However, in accordance with the Copyright Act of Canada, this work may be reproduced, without authorization, under the conditions for “Fair Dealing.” Therefore, limited reproduction of this work for the purposes of private study, research, criticism, review and news reporting is likely to be in accordance with the law, particularly if cited appropriately. ` Approval Name: Tania Arvanitidis Degree: Master of Arts Title of Thesis: From Revenge to Restoration: Evaluating General Deterrence as a Primary Sentencing Purpose for Rioters in Vancouver, British Columbia Examining Committee: Chair: William Glackman Associate Professor Brenda Morrison Senior Supervisor Associate Professor David MacAlister Supervisor Associate Professor Martin Andresen Supervisor Associate Professor David Daubney External Examiner General Counsel and Coordinator (Retired) Sentencing Reform Team, Policy Sector Department of Justice Canada Date Defended/Approved: August 28, 2013 ii ` Partial Copyright Licence iii ` Abstract On June 15 2011, the city of Vancouver experienced the largest and most destructive riot in its history. The legal response was highly punitive. Because a restorative justice response to riot cases remains largely unexamined, this thesis explores whether, and in what capacity, restorative justice offers an appropriate response with significant benefits when holding rioters accountable. Two analyses were conducted. The first is an exploratory qualitative analysis of the reasons for decision given for the first 20 adult rioters sentenced in Vancouver Provincial Court, and the second is a calculation of the economic benefits associated with making available to rioters a variety of community-based and restorative alternatives to custody. The findings of this thesis lend strong support to the appropriateness of a restorative response to riots, particularly in regard to ensuring consistency with the stated purposes of sentencing in Canadian law. Implications for sentencing rioters based on these findings are offered. Keywords: Restorative justice; riots; deterrence; sentencing; content analysis; cost- benefit analysis iv ` Dedication For my mother, Venera, and my father, Paschales. Without your unconditional love and support, this thesis would have been impossible. Thank you for everything. v ` Acknowledgements First and foremost, I offer my sincerest gratitude and appreciation to my senior supervisor Professor Brenda Morrison for her limitless encouragement and support throughout the course of this project. The amount of knowledge and advice you have imparted to me since I began my studies at Simon Fraser University has been invaluable. You are one of the most generous and inspirational people I have ever met and I can’t thank you enough for your guidance. I also wish to express my appreciation to Professors David MacAlister and Martin Andresen for their suggestions, constructive criticism, and words of encouragement throughout this endeavor. In particular, I would like to thank Professor David MacAlister for his seemingly limitless knowledge of Canadian criminal sentencing, and Professor Martin Andresen for continuously reminding me not to be so afraid of math. I would like to acknowledge Dr. Theo Gavrielides at Independent Academic Research Studies (IARS) for his advice and words of support. The work you have done on restorative justice and riots over the years is truly amazing and inspiring. I very much look forward to working with you in the years to come. I am very grateful to the Vancouver Association for Restorative Justice, who have opened their hearts to me and made available their support in a number of ways since I joined their organization as a board member in December 2011. Your continuous support and encouragement have not gone unnoticed. Many thanks go to my fellow graduate students who provided valuable assistance, suggestions, and constructive criticism throughout the course of this research. In particular I would like to acknowledge Krynn Finstad, Kouri Keenan, Ehsan Jozaghi, Adam Vaughn, and Andrew Reid. Finally, I wish to acknowledge my sisters Renee and Nina, who to this day remain my biggest role models. Thank you for inspiring me to pursue my passion and to strive for excellence in everything that I do. vi ` Table of Contents Approval .......................................................................................................................... ii Partial Copyright Licence ............................................................................................... iii Abstract .......................................................................................................................... iv Dedication ....................................................................................................................... v Acknowledgements ........................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii List of Tables .................................................................................................................. ix List of Figures.................................................................................................................. x 1. Introduction .......................................................................................................... 1 2. The 2011 Vancouver Stanley Cup Riot ................................................................ 7 2.1. Background ............................................................................................................ 7 2.2. Aftermath: Anger, shame and vengeance ............................................................... 9 2.2.1. Investigation and criminal prosecution ........................................................ 9 2.2.2. Media coverage ........................................................................................ 11 2.2.3. Requests and recommendations for restorative justice ............................. 13 2.3. Street group violence and riots ............................................................................. 15 2.3.1. Definition ................................................................................................... 15 2.3.2. “I don’t know why I joined”: Understanding riot behaviour ......................... 16 3. The Case Against Custody: Establishing Appropriate Sentencing Guidelines for Rioters in Canada ...................................................................... 27 3.1. A restorative response to a riot ............................................................................. 27 3.1.1. The meaning of restorative justice ............................................................. 28 3.1.1.1. Victim reparation ...................................................................................... 29 3.1.1.2. Offender responsibility ............................................................................. 31 3.1.1.3. Reconciliation through a community of care ........................................... 33 3.2. General deterrence as a sentencing purpose ....................................................... 35 3.2.1. Theoretical foundations ............................................................................. 36 3.2.2. Deterrent sentencing in practice ................................................................ 37 3.2.3. Does deterrent sentencing work?: Evaluating the evidence ...................... 39 3.2.4. General deterrence as a sentencing purpose in Canadian Criminal Law ........................................................................................................... 50 3.2.5. Bill C-41: The Sentencing Reform Act ....................................................... 53 4. Recurring Trends and Issues in the Sentencing of Adult Rioters in Vancouver, British Columbia ............................................................................. 60 4.1. Introduction........................................................................................................... 60 4.2. Data and methods ................................................................................................ 62 4.2.1. Descriptives .............................................................................................. 64 4.3. The precedent: R. v. Loewen ................................................................................ 66 4.3.1. Context of riot as aggravating factor .......................................................... 67 4.3.2. Deterrence and denunciation as primary sentencing principles ................. 74 4.3.3. Custody as necessary to achieve general deterrence ............................... 81 vii ` 4.3.4. Minimization of mitigating factors .............................................................. 88 4.4. Discussion and limitations .................................................................................... 97 5. The Big Picture: Costs and