Federal Sentences
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The protection of society is the paramount consideration in the
corrections process.
Canada’s criminal justice system protects society from criminals by removing them from communities and helping them learn to become productive contributors to society. The sentences served by federal offenders normally include time in a penitentiary followed by supervision in the community.
The Two-Year Rule
This rule refers to the general split between sentences of two years or more and sentences less than two years. Sentences of two years or more are served in federal penitentiaries while those of less than two years are served in provincial prisons.
Multiple Sentences
Many offenders are serving sentences for more than one offence. Calculating multiple prison terms is a complex process, but generally there are two categories of sentences:
- Consecutive sentences are separate sentences for two or more offences that are to be served in succession; and
- Concurrent sentences are imposed for separate offences, but which run simultaneously.
Where an offender is already serving a sentence in custody and becomes subject to another custodial sentence, the old and new sentences are combined and become one merged sentence. The merged sentence begins from the start date of the first sentence and ends at the expiry of the last sentence to be served.
Did you know?
- The percentage of offenders who successfully completed day parole has been over 80% since 1996-97.
- In 2006-07, 3.9% of day paroles ended with a non-violent offence, and 0.6% with a violent offence.
- The percentage of offenders who successfully completed full parole in 2006-07 was 70.5%.
- In 2006-07, 9.2% of full paroles ended with a non-violent offence and 0.5% with a violent offence.
- The percentage of offenders who successfully completed statutory release has been 58% over the past 10 years.
- In 2006-07, 9.0% of statutory releases ended with a non-violent offence and 2.2% with a violent offence.
- The average cost to keep a male offender in a medium security federal penitentiary is $88,000 per year.
Source: Corrections and Conditional Release Statistical Overview, December 2007.
Treatment programs for inmates are effective in reducing criminal behavior.
Programs offer opportunities to learn a trade or other skills.
Rehabilitation helps inmates make good use of their time.
Schematic sample of eligibility dates for a 12-year sentence
Protecting Society
Since most inmates do eventually return to the community, the best way to protect society is to help them gain skills so that after their sentence, they live a life that is productive and crime-free. Programs in Canada’s penitentiaries offer opportunities to learn a trade or other skills.
Other programs target specific problems, such as substance abuse or family violence. Special programs treat sex offenders.
With these programs, the goal is to protect society by helping criminals move away from the way of life that got them in trouble in the first place.
Rehabilitation makes sentences a useful time for the inmate and helps contribute to public safety.
Release is considered successful if it was completed without a return to prison for a breach of conditions or for a new offence.