We are not alone in the world. There are other advanced democracies with which we often compare ourselves. We have been provided with numbers. We compare ourselves with New Zealand, Scotland, Sweden, Belgium, Australia. Furthermore, I do not know why France is not included in these comparisons. Belgium is a partially francophone country. There is also the United States.
It is obvious that all civilized countries asked themselves this question when they abolished the death penalty —and most did so. What was this to be replaced by? Was it to be purely and simply life in prison? They all answered no. They opted, rather, for a long period of incarceration and the possibility of serving a shorter sentence, after review by a judge and by a jury — that is the case for us, is it not? The jury represents the people, so I believe.
The average period of imprisonment for offenders sentenced to life in New Zealand is 11 years; it is of 11.2 years in Scotland, of 12 years in Sweden, of 12.7 years in Belgium and of 14.8 years in Australia. The United States are the world champions with regard to sentences. I believe that the rate is 7.5 years higher than it is in Canada. The rate of incarceration in Canada is aligned with that of other democracies. However, even in the United States, the average is of 18.5 years, except for those cases where there is no possibility of parole. In those cases, it is 29 years.
According to predictions, we would reach the maximum length in the United States, which is exactly 28.2 years. It would be as though we made no allowance whatsoever for the possibility of early parole.
Is it the same thing for the other civilized countries the experience of which you are aware?