Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau has issued a mandate ordering the revision of the country’s criminal justice system. Trudeau aims to create a system that will focus more on rehabilitation, as well as to launch a plan to regulate and legalize marijuana.
Trudeau sent mandate letters to all of the cabinet ministers on Friday. The letter to Justice Minister Jody Wilson-Raybould reads:
“You should conduct a review of the changes in our criminal justice system and sentencing reforms over the past decade with a mandate to assess the changes, ensure that we are increasing the safety of our communities, getting value for money, addressing gaps and ensuring that current provisions are aligned with the objectives of the criminal justice system.”
Trudeau also tasks Wilson-Raybould, alongside Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale and Health Minisiter Jane Philpott, to create a federal-provincial-territorial process that will result in the legalization and regulation of cannabis.
Trudeau’s move is an about-face from policies instituted by the Conservative party that preceded him, which included lengthier prison sentences and a stricter parole process. The party came under fire regarding reports of prison overcrowding and segregation, as well as the high proportion of indigenous Canadians in prisons.
“Outcomes of this process should include increased use of restorative justice processes and other initiatives to reduce the rate of incarceration amongst indigenous Canadians,” Trudeau noted in his letter.
Source:
http://www.cbc.ca/news/politics/liberal-crime-justice-reform-1.3317891
Photo Credit: Cannabis Culture