Will Bail Reform Keep Us Safe? | Full Episode | The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka

In this month's episode of TVO's The Thread with Nam Kiwanuka, we delve into the issue of updating Ontario's bail system with the assistance of Polly, our AI advisor on what's on the minds of Ontarians. The Thread team speaks with law professor Kent Roach and prison consultant Lee Chapelle to determine if adjusting this aspect of our criminal justice system will sufficiently protect the public from crime, or if there may be other solutions working across the country. We also visit Fort William First Nation near Thundery Bay, to witness a restorative justice program in action and explore other avenues for increasing public safety and preventing crime.

[p_rushton]

Yes let's help criminals get onto the street!

[Seagaltalk]

They did bail reform, it has backfired spectacularly especially with repeat offenders

[DogeDavidLoredan]

Violent Crime is on the rise nearly everywhere in Ontario (and most places in Canada). This is a major issue!

Whether it’s a result of drugs, illegal guns, gangs, domestic violence, homelessness, the Housing Crisis and a combination of the above issues and others - the facts are that most cities/towns and even small communities are seeing increases in *Violent Crime* as well as *S-xual Assaults* - many times by strangers or unprovoked.

When someone who repeatedly destroys property, makes violent threats, sells deadly drugs, abuses women/vulnerable people or attacks others repeatedly with NO desire to change. *Then bail reform is useless*.

Sentencing is also useless when police/the Crown often hesitate to charge or investigate reports of individuals who’ve committed repeated crimes because “there’s nothing they can do about it” or because “we can only arrest them, charge them, then they’ll be given a court date at some point and let go either the next day or later tonight”.

And then by the time the Courts get to their case, more often then not *”sentencing is either reduced to community service, a very light 90-day sentence, or dismissed due to a lack of evidence”*

So many issues! Especially when you can’t guarantee in the (6mo-2yr) court date that a dangerous criminal doesn’t continue doing what they’re already doing.
*Especially when they already know they’re going to likely be charged, are enraged, and might have an idea of who “ratted” on them.*

**Why are so many publication bans in effect when it comes to perpetrators and court cases where a victim was killed by a repeat offender?**
**Why are drug dealers given a free pass, why isn’t video evidence, tips and actual reporting by witnesses being taken seriously by our useless officials?**

[DogeDavidLoredan]

You cannot adequately defend yourself in this country and *you will* find yourself quickly in Court facing a number of charges if you use a legal firearm.

**But**, gangs, drug dealers, and others who are almost always using *trafficked, unlicensed handguns smuggled from the US* will get a tap on the hand.

**How can we defend ourselves when our system fails to protect us from these dangerous offenders, and won’t allow us the right to defend ourselves?**

What options to we have when the police and the courts don’t take victims and communities seriously? Or care about our safety when we report crime and produce evidence of criminal activity?

[crobinson]

I would say repeat offenders is a problem especially when they spend a week in jail and back doing the same crime they got caught for in the first place. Clearly something isn’t working the system isn’t working and many Ontarians don’t have confidence in those promising reforms. We need to look elsewhere in the world where the number of repeat offenders is low like Norway, a nation that focuses on not simply jailing criminals but reforming them to be better members of society.

[Reading]

My thoughts on the issue of bail reform is not that of sympathy. My reasoning is that the possible offender is receiving more empathy then the law abiding citizens, it is the lives and safety of the law abiding citizens at risk at the cost of that empathy. Public safety should always come first, it can mean life or death if public safety is not made a priority. You cannot apologise to a dead citizen or their family or friends for letting someone who can possibly harm society free on bail; because by then it will be too late.

Bail reform should not be granted if the person is brought in for any of the issues below for the first time for :
Homocide
Possession of any weapon/s
Domestic violence
Flight risk
Above ⬆️⬆️⬆️ are the dangers to society and empathy for the people that are arressted for the above categories should not override the safety of the law abiding citizen. They should remain in jail until their trial.

The categories above will keep society safer. Reform should happen in jail.

[p_rushton]

Yes let's help criminals get onto the street!