For example, with respect to prison sentences, there seems to be a very high tendency to hand down probationary sentences. Probationary sentences make up approximately 8 per cent of sentences, I believe. Full prison sentences are less prevalent among women. I am not sure if I am making myself understood, but I gather that there are not as many women in the prison system because they are less likely to commit offences. I would say that this has always been the case in the past. The rate of crimes committed by men has always been higher than the rate of crimes committed by women. On the other hand, crime committed by women has always been less violent.
Currently, we are studying Bill C-9 on the abolition of conditional sentences in the House of Commons. In fact, the bill deals with a sort of extension for conditional sentences, by making a 10-year imprisonment term ineligible for a conditional sentence.
Do you believe that this will have a significant impact on the sentences handed down to women, thereby further criminalizing them, and causing more of them to be imprisoned?