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Abstract: 

On September 20, 2011, the Honorable Rob Nicholson, Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada, introduced the Safe Streets and Communities Act, promising that this legislation would target crime and terrorism and provide support and protection to crime victims. The legislation is composed of nine previous bills that had been debated and did not succeed in becoming law when the Government was a minority in parliament. Now that the Government has a majority, it plans to move quickly to reintroduce these bills as one piece of legislation that will fulfill the Government’s promise of a comprehensive law-and-order approach in its efforts to combat crime and terrorism. There has been a lot of attention from academics, nongovernmental agencies, and in some cases even the media as to the wisdom or the need for these measures. Crime rates in Canada are either falling or remaining stable. The biggest concern has been the Government’s dismissal of and disdain for research and evidence that counters its preferred choice of crime control.

Keywords: Safe Streets and Communities Act; Sentencing and Corrections Reform

Affiliations:  1: Journal Editor.