Dangerous offender
Encyclopedia : D : DA : DAN : Dangerous offender
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In the Canadian legal system, the dangerous offender designation allows the courts to impose an indefinite sentence on a convicted person, regardless of whether the crime carries a life sentence or not. The purpose of the legislation is to detain offenders who are deemed too dangerous to be released into society (e.g. sexual predators) but whose sentences would not necessarily keep them incarcerated under other legislation, such as the Correctional and Conditional Release Act. Under 761(1) of the Criminal Code, the National Parole Board of Canada is required to review the case of an offender with a dangerous offender label after seven years, and parole may be granted as circumstances warrant, but the offender would remain under supervision indefinitely. According to Corrections Canada, on average 24 dangerous offenders are admitted to the Canadian prison system each year. Paul Bernardo is perhaps Canada's best known dangerous offender, yet it is unlikely he would ever have been released even without this designation, since he received life sentences for first-degree murder, with no chance of full parole for at least twenty-five years. Canadian courts also have the option of designating convicts "long term offenders". A hearing is held after sentencing, and, if a judge rules the accused is likely to re-offend after release, a ten-year period of community supervision is required after the sentence is completed. This designation is most often used on sex offenders.
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