http://digbig.com/4kwds
Janice Tibbetts
"The new Conservative government, within days of taking office, was warned by senior federal bureaucrats a central election pledge to impose new automatic prison terms won't deter crime nor protect the public, internal documents obtained by CanWest News Service reveal. Research into the effectiveness of mandatory minimum sentences has established that they do not have any obvious special deterrent or educative effect and are no more effective than less serious sanctions in preventing crime." Minimum mandatory sentences have "no discernible benefits" in terms of public safety, and could run afoul of Charter of Rights and Freedoms protection against cruel and unusual punishment. The documents also caution minimum jail terms could backfire because "experience has shown" they prompt more people to plea bargain their way out of jail."
