Premier Doug Ford doesn’t like killers.
An interesting quote from Chris Selley in the National Post dated 14 February, 2025 (ironically, Valentine’s Day):
“So it was this week on the campaign trail in Ontario after the Toronto Star obtained an audio recording of Ford’s remarks at a London Police Service gala and awards night on Jan. 29. He suggested that anyone who breaks into a house, armed with a gun, and kills one of the occupants should be sent “right to sparky” (meaning the electric chair)… Research Co.’s latest poll on the subject, in April last year, found 57 per cent of respondents nationwide, and in Ontario, supported bringing back capital punishment for murder”.
Now for a moment, put aside your own feelings on capital punishment, which has been banned here in Canada for many years now. Let us take a close look at some of the alternative measures that can be taken to deal with such serious offenders.
Back in the day, or heyday of British Justice, justices used to put a black cloth over their head and send those convicted, including children (a youth justice system that worked), of even minor offences off to be drawn and quartered, somewhat like the steak you would get at a Keg restaurant.
Ah, capital punishment, the good old days! Tower of London, Tyburn, Crowds, food vendors, T-shirt sales and honoured guests. Great entertainment.
Traditionally, we in Canada seem to house such offenders in maximum security facilities such as jails and psychiatric hospitals. Now as bad as the jails seem to have become over the years, and they are terrible due to political neglect of course, you don’t ever want to be sent to a psychiatric facility at the behest of the Lieutenant Governor, ever.
So, how is this going, really? Are some of our most notorious killers being rehabilitated as promised by those who espouse the medical model of rehabilitative justice? Didn’t think so. Along with this failure we subject the families of the victims to regular parole review boards in which they re-live the horrors they faced in court to begin with. Not my idea of a rational society.
Are there alternatives? Well, yes. In this era of woke mentality we could just put a monitoring device on the offender and monitor every move they make for the rest of their lives and we have the technology to do it. May not work, right?
We could dress them in a bright orange jump suit with “Killer” written on the back and just send them home. Sort of like the way we let killers out on bail nowadays, especially if they fit into certain socially designated groups. Shoot some kid at a mall trying to kill your friendly gang rival and get out on bail that afternoon. How is it the going by the way?
Well, to quote the character Baldrick from the old British TV sitcom Blackadder; “I have a cunning plan Sir”. I shall let you in on that later. It involves some real estate development that I am sure Premier Ford will be interested in.
Our current system of corrections (who came up with that term)? Just doesn’t work particularly well for those who actually failed to get bail and Doug may be part of the problem. Overcrowded provincial jails with mostly people awaiting a court date or remand, too few guards, bad food, bed bugs and such niceties.
Federal prisons that are outdated and overcrowded, but, they tell me the golf courses are nicer once you get into a minimum security sanctuary cause you wouldn’t want to upset a “Quarter Century Club” member.
In the meantime Premier Doug Ford, as an election gimmick, wants to light them up if convicted… ‘should be sent “right to sparky”. Couple of nasty looking switches over there on that wall!