Conservative ‘Truth in Sentencing’ Act will cost Canadian Taxpayers Billions

On February 22, 2010, the Truth in Sentencing Act which eliminates two for one credit for time spent in custody before sentencing was passed into law. Two for one time – so called “dead time – was credited for two reasons: first, because there are no rehabilitative programs available for people on remand and second, because remission – time off for “good behaviour” that sees prisoners reintegrated into society by having control over them through supervision and halfway houses – is not available for time before sentencing.

This Act is a bad idea. It’s not “truth” in sentencing. It’s the Conservatives making themselves look better to a scared and sometimes uninformed public.The cases of R v. Mills, R v. Wust and R v. Rezaie are perfect examples of why two for one credit has been awarded and illustrate the principles that judges rely on. My case out of our Court of Appeal, R v. Calder Berg, awarded dead time to my client who had been denied dead time and it’s a great read.

We now find out that this “tough on crime” agenda will cost taxpayers billions of dollars. Several media sources – including the National Post and the Vancouver Sun- indicate that this will cost Canadians a total of $10 billion over the next five years. 10 Billion! What could we buy with 10 billion dollars? Especially when we could use the help in the form of transfer payments to assist with schools, social housing and to combat child poverty? We should all be outraged.
Future plans of the Conservative government include eliminating automatic statutory release after an individual has served two thirds of their sentence and imposing more mandatory minimum sentences for drug related offences.

Only time will tell how much this get tough on crime agenda will cost Canadians. In the United States, generally the largest lobbyists for the infamous “three strikes: you’re out” law was the CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY. That should give anyone a reason to look at who is actually benefiting from these new laws.