Pubdate: Thu, 11 Oct 2007 Source: Calgary Sun, The (CN AB) Copyright: 2007 The Calgary Sun Contact: http://www.calgarysun.com/ Details: http://www.mapinc.org/media/67 Author: Rick Bell Bookmark: http://www.mapinc.org/find?199 (Mandatory Minimum Sentencing) HUG-A-THUG CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM IS BROKE Thankfully, we now hear baby steps. But will same old be same old, lots of jaw action? The status quo is not acceptable. That's what Ron Stevens, the province's justice minister, tells us. That's what Rick Hanson, the city police chief, tells us. That's what Bronco, the mayor, tells us. That's what Stephen Harper's Conservatives tell us. That's what polls tell us. The hug-a-thug criminal justice system is broke, a joke when it comes to who gets bail, a mystery when to comes to what sentence goes with what beef and what bonehead. But somehow, in all this telling to us, we still have no shortage of screaming headlines and shocking stories. We hear everyone figures enough is enough. We hear everyone wants bad guys to no longer laugh at the courts and the cops. We hear, we hear, we hear. Thankfully, we now hear the baby steps. The mayor asks the police chief to report on the extent of the theatre of the absurd where criminals are caught only to be quickly released back to the street to go back to their business as usual. And Stevens, Alberta's top legal beagle, is making noise. He wants to replace cops with Crown prosecutors when it comes to bail applications. That means hiring more prosecutors. Stevens says there's been success with the idea in Wetaskiwin. "The result is more people who belong in remand are going to remand and those getting out on conditions see more rigorous and appropriate conditions," says the justice department's main man, who is also Premier Ed's right-hand man. "I'm happy to take this forward to my colleagues. I like it. It's an appropriate piece of the puzzle. The police will be doing what they ought to be doing and the crown prosecutors will be doing what they ought to be doing." Also, in the jigsaw, Stevens wants to flag the files of all chronic offenders so prosecutors will have the goods on them when they go for their Get Out Of Jail Free card. Serious and often violent repeat no-goods are tagged, those who Stevens says "would take a hammer to other people" and "if we let them out on bail you'd write about it." But he is now taking aim at those he says are "criminal by nature", the idiots with the rap sheet, the 15% in the system doing 60% of the dirty deeds. "They know the judge's first name," says Stevens, who admits sometimes he reads the stories in the paper and often scratches his head. He says the rules on bail aren't the big problem. "The general rule is you have to establish a reason to keep them in. The rules don't look so bad." So the justice minister, who also happens to be a Calgarian, will begin a review of the Justices of the Peace, though he is not specific on how this look-see will work. When to comes to jail time, a source of aggravation to the new city police chief, who looks pretty strong coming out of the gate, Stevens backs Ottawa's move to mandatory minimum sentences and their intention to include deterrence as a principle in youth sentencing. He also is behind their plan to examine the whole youth justice law. Stevens also backs plans to crack down on drug-impaired driving through bodily fluid tests and impaired driving by restricting challenges to the breathalyzer, as in the so-called "two beer defence." You know, where somebody goes to court and his witnesses testify he only had two beers, not enough to go over .08, thereby questioning the reading on the machine. Alberta's main man for laying down the law is also going after something Ottawa is not moving on, forcing Internet providers to report a crime they know is being committed, that is, telling the cops about evidence of kiddie porn. "In order to address this issue we need the help of Internet providers. When you see child pornography, it's absolutely obvious you know it has not artistic value, it's child pornography." Heather Forsyth is a former provincial top cop and a Calgary MLA. Heather's riding includes the house where 17-year-old Matthew McKay was attacked and killed with a pickaxe after a fight erupted at a party there. Heather, also headed up Premier Ed's task force on safe communities, a group who completed recommendations, expected to be tough on crime and the causes of crime. Those proposals will be released later this month. "We heard that over and over again," says Heather, of the revolving door of catch-and-release. She says it is "about time" concerns about crime are now on the collective radar. But will the same old be the same old, lots of jaw action? "Have some faith," says Stevens. Sorry, nothing personal, but faith in politicians isn't in my DNA. Show me.