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Corrections needed in court system |
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Tuesday, 14 August 2007 |
When it comes to dealing with people who go through the court system for convicting various crimes, perhaps judges and crown prosecutors should remember the saying, Once bitten, twice shy.
If people who commit crimes received deserving punishments, perhaps they would think twice before going out and doing the same thing again.
Everyone makes mistakes and in certain cases, it can be in the best interest of all those involved to give the person a little bit of a break. When people make the same mistake or commit the same crime, repeatedly however, that should require a tougher stance.
Many people who are going through the court systems are re-offenders. It is not uncommon for a person who is up for impaired driving to have a criminal record including five or six convictions for impaired operation.
The province says Alberta is getting tough on drunk drivers but is there any truth in that?
For first-time offenders, whose cases do not include any aggregating factors, the sentence for an impaired or over .08 charge is usually $600 in fines and a one-year driving prohibition. These people, however, have the opportunity to apply for an interlock device system in three months from the time of their sentencing. A one-year driving prohibition should mean the person can not drive for a year. For some people, not being able to drive for three months and then getting an interlock device system is not a big deal.
Every time a person is convicted of impaired or over .08, they get a bigger fine and a driving prohibition for a longer amount of time, but are cut some slack if it has been several years since their last conviction.
Obviously, the fines and prohibitions are not working, because the court docket in Taber still sees a high percentage of impaired and over .08 charges every week. It's simple - if what you are doing is not working, change it.
Perhaps, when people are repeatedly convicted of getting behind the wheel when they are impaired, they should be forced to attend the annual Mothers Against Drunk Driving vigils, so they can witness what people who have lost someone due to someone else's decision have had to face. Defence lawyers have used the defence their client has grown up with alcohol and therefor does not know any different. If an adult keeps ending up in the legal system because of his or her drinking, it is time for them to take responsibility for their actions.
Defence lawyers who are speaking on behalf of clients who commit crimes partly because of a dependency on alcohol, are however, correct in mentioning their client's drinking problem.
A lot of times, people who end up in court because of something they did when they were intoxicated, only get in trouble with the law when they drink. Perhaps for repeat offenders, mandatory time in rehab or a treatment centre should be the start of their sentence and the beginning of a brighter future.
In places like Taber, where there are organizations such as Citizens on Patrol and individuals help the police out by calling in crimes they witness, people should have even more reason to take the necessary steps to stay out of court. Also in Taber and several other communities, the resources for help are endless. Perhaps, along with judges being more strict when they need to, those convicted of crimes should access the resources available for assistance.
When the legal system does go a little easy on them, instead of taking advantage of the system, they should take advantage of the chance to turn their lives around. |
