Ottawa, ON – Kelly DeRidder, Conservative Member of Parliament for Kitchener Centre, seconded by Conservative MP Todd Doherty, introduced Private Member’s Bill C-240:
Bill C-240 aims to amend the Criminal Code to empower judges to prescribe structured rehabilitation programs for individuals whose offences stem from circumstances that can be addressed through skill development, education and recovery as part of a holistic healing process.
“Our justice system must do more than punish – it must also heal,” said MP DeRidder. “Bill C-240 empowers courts to prescribe structured rehabilitation measures, including education, skills training, and treatment programs, to be undertaken during custody. These are not soft-on-crime measures; they are smart-on-recovery interventions.”
If passed, this legislation will:
- Allow court-ordered rehabilitation measures for offenders: The bill allows courts to order additional rehabilitative measures during an offender’s custodial sentence, such as participation in educational, training, or treatment programs.
- Permit stricter penalties for fentanyl traffickers: The bill introduces an aggravating factor in sentencing for individuals convicted of trafficking fentanyl in large quantities, leading to stricter penalties.
- Include rehabilitation progress in parole decisions: The bill further requires parole boards to consider an offender’s progress in completing court-ordered rehabilitation programs when making parole decisions.
“Bill C-240 strengthens the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, ensuring that rehabilitation objectives are considered during parole decisions. It amends the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to treat large-scale fentanyl trafficking as an aggravating factor, reflecting the gravity of the harm inflicted on our communities,” DeRidder concluded. “By integrating public health principles into our justice system, we can reduce recidivism, enhance community safety, and break the cycle of harm.”