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Sentencing and Corrections: Sentencing Theory Meets Practice Introduction

 Popular belief  Purpose and objectives Vancouver 2010  Sentences imposed prior to 1996: denunciation, deterrence and Me Thierry Nadon rehabilitation Direction des poursuites criminelles et  Marihuana production pénales, Montréal, Quebec  Trafficking in crack  Possession of a loaded firearm  Conclusions

The main purpose of sentences Denunciation

 "…to respect for the law and the  718 Cr.c.: "to denounce unlawful conduct" maintenance of a just, peaceful and safe  718.01 Cr.c. (children) society…" (s. 718 Cr.c.)  718.02 Cr.c. (peace officers)  "Parliament wishes the Courts to ensure a  743.6 Cr.c. (delay parole) safe Canadian society"

 Renaud, The Sentencing Code of Canada, p. 3.

Denunciation: definition Denunciation: definition

 "…In short, a sentence with a denunciatory  "Denunciation is the communication of element represents a symbolic, collective society's condemnation of the offender's statement that the offender's conduct should be conduct " punished for encroaching on our society's basic code of values " R. v . Proulx , 2005 SCC 5, para. 102 .

 "A sentence which expresses denunciation is simply the means by which these values are communicated." M.(C.A.), [1996] 1 S.C.R. 500, para. 81.

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Denunciation: effects Deterrence

 Historically, the more severe the sentence  718 Cr.c.: "to deter the offender and other the greater the effect on denunciation persons from committing offences"

(Proulx, para. 102)  718.01 Cr.c.

 Denunciation and deterrence  718.02 C r.c.  743.6 Cr.c.

Deterrence: definition Specific deterrence

 "Deterrence, as a principle of sentencing,  "As stated earlier, specific deterrence is refers to the imposition of a sanction for directed at the offender before the the purpose of discouraging the offender court. As a principle of sentence, it refers and others from engaging in criminal to the goal of preventing the offender conduct." (B.W.P., 2006 SCC 27, para. 2) from committing another criminal offence." (B.W.P, para. 39)

General deterrence Deterrence: effects and critics

 "…General deterrence is intended to work  Critics: inefficient to deter in this way:potential criminals will not  Deterrence leads to harsher sentences engage in criminal activity because of the example provided by the punishment imposed on the offender. " (B.W.P., par. 2)

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Rehabilitation Rehabilitation: definition

 718 Cr.c.: "to assist in rehabilitating  Dictionary: Restore, reinstate into society offenders"

 718.2d) Cr.c.: less restrictive sanctions

 718.2 e) C .cr.: alt ernati ves t o imprisonment

Rehabilitation: effects and critics PrePre--1996…Post1996…Post 1996

 Critics: rehabilitation and sentences?  Marihuana production  Less severe sentences  Trafficking crack cocaine

 Possession of a loaded firearm

Marihuana production The 80's

 6 NA, maximum of seven years  Fines and short periods of imprisonment in  7 CDSA, maximum of seven years cases of enormous quantities  Denunciation and deterrence less present in the discussion

 Ex: Nadin-Nadin-DavisDavis and Sproule, Canadian Sentencing Digest, 19801980--19841984

 Ex: Wittenberg, 2200 pounds, 1 year. (Nadin-(Nadin- Davis, 1984)

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The beginning of the 90's The end of the 90's

 Fines and short periods of imprisonment  The beginning of constant imprisonment

 Ex: Arnold, 1990 CarswellBC 1580 (C.A.), 1 and reference to denunciation and tonne, sentence reduced to 1 year ("the deterrence as primary objectives

opeoperationration waswas oonene ooff tthehe largestlargest ooff itsits kindkind to  Occasional gardener , range 5 -6months76 months, 7 come before the Courts in recent years" para. months in the case of Rose, 1995 CarswellBC 16) 503, because of the importance of the  Ex: Ralph, 1991 CarswellBC 1676 (C.A.), operation

1000$ fine for the accommodating owner.  Occasional gardener, 6 months in Bade (1998), 216 A.R. 29. (C.A.)

2000 2000

 Imprisonment even for those with minor  Occasional gardener and accommodating involvement owner: more than 12 months

 Denunciation and deterrence  Ex: Daudelin-Daudelin-Lacroix,Lacroix, 2009 QCCQ 10477, Boubreau, 2005 Canlii 1247 , Buge , 2007  Conditi ona l sen tences an d re ha bilitati on i n QCCQ, 5111, StSt--Antoine,Antoine, 2006 QCCQ 5211. rare cases

 "Cannabis is a social scourge", Tardif j. in R. v. Kimmel, 2009 QCCS 261, para.18para.18..

Marihuana production: Conclusions Traffic of crack cocaine

 Sentences far more severe  Popular belief: reduction of sentences  The changes in the Criminal Code used to  Denunciation, deterrence and severity

adapt to the social problem  The Quebec example

 The pro fits, reg iona lisati on, i mport ance of  From Dorvilus to the daily case

operations and proliferation led to harsher  Sentences dramatically reduced even with sentences emphasis on denunciation and deterrence

 Denunciation and deterrence: longer imprisonment

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The 1990's and the beginning of Present sentences 2000

 Dorvilus, 1990 Canlii 3063 (C.A.Q.): traffic  Reported cases: reduction 4 rocks, no prior, 2 years less a day:  Daily cases in the district of Montreal:  "Les tribunaux ont le devoir de se montrer sentences of 22--33 months for a case similar sévères et non complaisants en matière de to Dorvilus trafic de crack."

 See also: Blagrove, 1996 Canlii 5793 (C.A.Q.), Guillaume 1996 Canlii 5829 (C.A.Q.), Stanislaus, 1998 Canlii 13284 (C.A.Q.), Ganley, 2001 Canlii, 14283 (C.A.Q.)

Explanations for the change Possession of a loaded firearm

 Denunciation and deterrence?  95 Cr.c. (in force 1 December 1998)  The effects of changes to the Criminal  Minimum 1 year, maximum 10 years Code in 1996?  Since 2008, minimum 3 years, second or subsequent offence 5 years , maximum 10  TiTrivi ali zati on? years.  The effects of plea bargaining?

Minimum: why? Minimum: why?

 "I think the answer lies in our history and  "(le législateur)…il souhaitait par le fait in our values. This is not a society like même que le contrevenant soit astreint à some others that tolerates guns." une peine plus sévère qui pourrait avoir (O' Toole, 2003 BCSC 747, para. 5 un effet dissuasif sur quiconque serait (Williamson, j.) tenté de commettre un tel crime. Ce faisant le législateur souhaitait assurer de façon plus efficace la sécurité de tous les citoyens canadiens." (Thiffault, 2002 Canlii 8959, para. 15. (Lévesque, j. (C.S.))

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2008 amendments: critics and Sentences from 1998 to 2008 effects

 Rare minimum  Critics: minimum  Range: 18 months to 5 years  Increases the period of imprisonment but not far from existing case law

 PitifftPositive effects: recen t arres ts

Conclusions

 Changes of 1996

 Effects: varies

 Denunciation and deterrence: varies

 Adapt

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