Canada’s Correctional System and Principles of Rehabilitation, Punishment, and Restorative Justice
Topic
Canada’s Correctional System and Principles of Rehabilitation, Punishment, and Restorative Justice
Big Idea
Essential Question
How do we balance principles of rehabilitation, punishment, and restorative justice in Canada’s Correctional System?
Learning Standards Content
Students are expected to know the following:
- Canada’s correctional system and principles of rehabilitation, punishment, and restoration
Curricular Competencies
Students are expected to be able to do the following:
- Analyze continuities and changes in legal systems or codes across jurisdictions (continuity and change)
- Explain and infer multiple perspectives on legal systems or codes (perspective)
Core Competencies
Students can identify and communicate informed opinions regarding underlying principles of the corrections systems in Canada.
Students can consider different factors involved in successful sentencing, release and reintegration in Canada’s correctional system.
Students can explain how restorative justice helps offenders understand the consequences of their actions and develop empathy towards those affected by their actions.
First People's Principles of Learning
Laws are interpreted, and these interpretations may evolve over time as a society’s values and worldviews change.- Four Corners Activity: Prompt students with statements, such as “The point of the criminal justice system is to punish criminals”. Then have them move to the corner of the room that reflects their opinion - agree, strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagree. (See Materials and Resources for sample Four Corner Activity Statements)
- After the activity, explain that our correctional system is based on a balance of different principles and give the definitions for punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice. (See Materials and Resources for Definitions for Students.)
- Four Corners Activity: Prompt students with statements, such as “The point of the criminal justice system is to punish criminals”. Then have them move to the corner of the room that reflects their opinion - agree, strongly agree, disagree, or strongly disagree. (See Materials and Resources for sample Four Corner Activity Statements)
- After the activity, explain that our correctional system is based on a balance of different principles and give the definitions for punishment, rehabilitation, and restorative justice. (See Materials and Resources for Definitions for Students.)
- Revisit the principles of sentencing and statements from the Four Corners Activity by asking students to do a Think-Pair-Share (think of an answer, share with their partner, and then discuss as a class) for the following questions:
- How does Canada’s Correctional System punish offenders?
- Rehabilitate them?
- How is restorative justice used?
- Encourage students to keep these principles of a corrections system in mind as they complete the Canada’s Correctional System worksheet using the educational modules from Correctional Services Canada.
- When finished, have students read the article Canada’s Prisons are Failing from The National.
- Inform students that they will be participating in a debate with the resolution “Canada’s Correctional System focuses too much on punishing the offender.”
- Assign students to a side in favour or against the resolution. Students arguing in favour of the resolution, will discuss rehabilitative programs, recidivism and restorative justice. Students arguing against the resolution will argue that deterrence and punishment are the most important factors in a correctional system.
- Provide students with the organizational sheet for planning: Debate: Rehabilitation, Punishment and Restorative Justice in Canada's Correctional System. Both sides must present statistics, case studies and/or philosophical arguments to argue the resolution.
- *Note that this debate is structured for a class size of 30 but can easily be adapted for smaller groups.
- Students will be assessed individually on their preparation and performance in the debate using the Debate Rubric.
Create a presentation on the evolution and changes in principles underlying Canada’s corrections system from the late 1800s to the present.
Canada. 2020. “Correctional Service Canada.” https://www.csc-scc.gc.ca/index-en.shtml
Canada. 2020. “Corrections and Criminal Justice Policy.” Public Safety Canada.
https://www.publicsafety.gc.ca/cnt/cntrng-crm/crrctns/crrctns-plc-en.aspx
Canada. 2020. “Corrections and Parole Issues.” National Defence.
Canada. 2020. “How Sentences Are Imposed.” Department of Justice.
https://www.justice.gc.ca/eng/cj-jp/victims-victimes/sentencing-peine/imposed-imposees.html
Canada. 2020. “Office of the Correctional Investigator.” https://www.oci-bec.gc.ca/index-eng.aspx
Legal Services Society of BC. 2020. “Gladue Rights.” Legal Aid for Aboriginal People in BC. https://aboriginal.legalaid.bc.ca/courts-criminal-cases/gladue-rights
Ling, Justin. 2019. “Canada's Prisons Are Failing.” CBA National Magazine.
https://www.nationalmagazine.ca/en-ca/articles/law/in-depth/2019/canada-s-prisons-are-failing
Book
Murphy, Terry, et. al. “All About Law: Exploring the Canadian Legal System.” 6th ed. Toronto, ON: Nelson Education Ltd., 2010.
