Two University of Ottawa criminologists made public comments about controversial issues in Canadian society in recent weeks.
In an op-ed article published in The Globe and Mail on April 8, 2004, Prof. Julian Roberts discussed the evolution and nature of hate crimes. The piece appeared just a few days after such a hate-motivated crime: the firebombing of Montréal’s United Talmud Torah elementary school.
According to Roberts, two key elements in the struggle to combat hate crimes are compensation and rehabilitation. “As a principle, the sentence imposed should carry some reparation for the victim or affected community. Rehabilitation begins with the offender understanding the impact of the crime.”
“The ultimate danger is that hate-motivated incidents will become part of everyday life,” he wrote. “That is why media attention, and political leaders’ swift condemnation, are as important as the response of our criminal-justice system.”
Meanwhile, criminologist Irwin Waller said that Nunavut should spend more money to prevent people from going to jail, according to a story recently posted on the CBC News Web site.
Waller told justice officials and community representatives attending a workshop in Iqaluit that Nunavut should find new ways of dealing with its soaring crime rates. He noted that the territory has one of the highest rates per capita of incarceration in the world, with each inmate’s stay costing between $50,000 and $100,000 per year. This adds up to millions of dollars for Nunavut, which has more than 100 residents in jail.
