Okanagan-Shuswap MP Colin Mayes believes it should take longer for individuals convicted of serious crimes to be eligible for parole.
On Monday, Mayes tabled a private member’s bill in the House of Commons that seeks to extend the parole eligibility period for those convicted of abduction, heinous acts of sexual assault and murder from the current 25 years up to a maximum of 40 years.
“Currently, any Canadian convicted of both first or second degree murder is given an automatic life sentence, but the provision barely puts an offender in jail for longer than 25 years, the time at which first-degree murderers are first eligible for parole,” he said.
“The bill targets sadistic murderers. Sadistic criminals convicted of such heinous crimes are never granted parole; thus, the hearings are unnecessary and are extremely painful for the victims’ families to endure.”
Mayes says his bill is about saving the families of the victims from having to go through the agony of attending parole hearings every two years after the convict’s 25-year sentence expires.
“When passed, this bill will assist families by not having them deal with the re-enactment of what happened to their loved ones, over and over again. Families need closure,” he said.
