Thank you.
Mr. Minister, I practised criminal law some time ago in the days before the provisions on house arrest were adopted.
When that came in, judges found it to be a really good middle ground when they were dealing with individuals who, for general collective disincentive reasons, needed to punished by restrictions on their freedom. But as we often say — and I imagine the same saying goes outside Quebec — prison is often the best place to learn about crime. It is not a good idea to send first-time offenders to that school. Ultimately, the system could impose sentences that were punitive but also beneficial in other ways: allowing individuals to stay in school, keep their job, continue supporting their family, if they have one, improving their chances of getting a job, making reparations to victims of their crimes.
Why do you think all these goals cannot be pursued in cases where it is a first offence and the judges feel it is not a good idea to send the accused to crime school?