How about prison quality of life in Australia vs. prison quality of life in Quebec? I see no analysis of this issue in the posts of you and HM. I would think the girls would be interested in knowing a little about the quality or lack thereof of the respective prison accomodations, especially if they will spend 20-40 years of their lives there or more. Which prison has the best library and recreational facilities? The best food and medical care? You have to know what you are signing up for, don't you think?
Quebecois cocaine cowgirls
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How about prison quality of life in Australia vs. prison quality of life in Quebec? I see no analysis of this issue in the posts of you and HM. I would think the girls would be interested in knowing a little about the quality or lack thereof of the respective prison accomodations, especially if they will spend 20-40 years of their lives there or more. Which prison has the best library and recreational facilities? The best food and medical care? You have to know what you are signing up for, don't you think?
The girls won't be doing forty years.
Canadian sentences, even life sentences, max out at 25. Only a few exceptional circumstances go longer ie multiple life sentences running consecutively would be 25+25.
If the women are in Canada they will be able to phone their family. In Australia they might not. That is HUGE. That alone might outweigh everything else.
I have visited inmates in Canadian women's jails and they were not nice places. Jails are run by provinces and vary wildly from province to province. Even the same institution can swing from one extreme to another depending on the current government, the current politician in charge of the department, or the current facility manager.
For instance, there used to be educational programs. Inmate could go to school, learn trades, do farm work. The Tories came along and said fuck that, we are getting tough blah blah blah, we're shutting all this down. None of it was valid but it got votes. So inmates ended up just sitting in their cells all day staring at a wall. How the fuck that is supposed to change them into good citizens I do not know.
I visited a guy in a federal prison and holy shit that was bad. Not like the holiday camp the Tories said at all. Unless you have been inside, STFU.
Another thing I noticed was almost heartbreaking.
Visiting men's jail or prison, the parking lot is full. Guy's wives, girlfriends, or families visit lots.
I visited a woman in provincial jail and was the only visitor so far that day. Woman are forgotten. They get very few visitors. Again, the girls might get a few visits a week doing time in Quebec. They won't have family popping over to Australia.
Time will tell. This thread will be well alive for the duration of the trial. I doubt they will get that 50 years, but jail time is there to make them think of what they did and if doing it again, same scenario will happen. More jail time means more time to think it over. These girls will learn their lessons of life and will probably get out cutting all ties with the entourage that got them there. Life will start all over again. Probably they will need to change name of move somewhere else, a bit like Karla Homloka after jail.
All the reports we read said they were facing life imprisonment. This was the LARGEST DRUG BUST IN AUSTRALIAN HISTORY. Not sure what all these speculative posts about the Australians being lenient and giving a light sentence is exactly based on. If ever there would be a case where someone gets the max sentence, this is it.
Agreed EB, there could very well be a precedence that the Judge will want to set. If it is life, they could be eligible for parole after 1/6 of time like in Canada. Same law Australia and Canada I believe, which is Queen's law. Canada (or Australia) believe into rehabilitation and get them out early after proven rehabilitated. The law in USA is tougher than in the Commonwealth's I believe.
Also, the sentence could have been negotiated already in exchange of a guilty plea (Legace and soon Roberge perhaps). It can't be life imprisonment if it was negotiated. Lot of unknown at this point. Feb 3rd will be another trial day for Roberge and Tamine. Legace's sentence have already been negotiated and agreed between her and the Crown I'd believe and that will be pronounced too.
Now, if Tamine go all the way for trial and lose or found guilty, he will probably get life and the Judge can set a precedence.
Also, the sentence could have been negotiated already in exchange of a guilty plea (Legace and soon Roberge perhaps). It can't be life imprisonment if it was negotiated. Lot of unknown at this point. Feb 3rd will be another trial day for Roberge and Tamine. Legace's sentence have already been negotiated and agreed between her and the Crown I'd believe and that will be pronounced too.
Now, if Tamine go all the way for trial and lose or found guilty, he will probably get life and the Judge can set a precedence.
Yep, once again you speaketh the truth. In the US it seems that every time a celebrity dies of an overdose they have to find a scapegoat these days. I had spent some time visiting a few prisons. I don't think anyone likes to be inside the joint but every time I went to visit the prison the brothers were playing basketball the white guys were playing softball. This was on the maximum security side of the fence. On the medium security side of the fence the inmates were outside lifting free weights. The guard explained that everyone starts on the maximum security side and then works their way over to the medium security side by good behavior. I asked the guard why they didn't have free weights on the maximum side. I asked if this was to give the inmates incentive to behave well so they can get transferred to medium security. He said no. They had weights on the maximum side but a few months ago the inmates bludgeoned a guard to death. He said "That sort of thing happens around here."
If someone breaks into my home or a neighbors/relatives home and kills a family member I'll be God Damned if I would be happy that he or she is spending their time playing basketball or softball while I have to plant my family member 6 feet under. Meanwhile Obama is doing his part to empty the prisons. The problem is, many of these crystal meth and crack heads and heroin addicts brains are fried. This is not going to help the crime problem.
I hope the girls do not have to do more than 5 years. They certainly do not look like violent offenders.
H101, I do not view it as dangerous offenders like killers or robbers or terrorists. I view this as the illegal way of making money vs the regular Joe working hard for his cash, let alone destroying lives of addicts. So, should their sentences be less than a killer ? I don't think so .. A crime is a crime, whether you kill somebody, fraud the govt, steal from your neighbor etc. But these are laws and sentences disputed in House of Commons and pass legislation. If the Australian law calls for life imprisonment for the biggest drug bust ever in Australia and the sentence is life, then we have to respect that sentence. They should have really weighed their chances before doing it.
'If I get caught, I will possibly get life' .. then don't do it, period.
'If I get caught, I will possibly get life' .. then don't do it, period.
A12B the thing is the chance to have such girls do again something bad for society are very very slim. Compared to the cost to society to keep them in prison. This is why if ever brought back to Canada they will be out much much sooner.
Cheers,
Cheers,
Just my opinion but if you do something illegal you ahould check out the countries laws, if you get caught too bad. Why bring them back here so Canadin tax payers foot the bill? Let them spend their time in Australia.
I know but think about it. They did not harm anyone. Did not make anyone lose money or their jobs (like white collar criminals). They were just innocent and stupid. They represent no harm to society. Why screwing their life with 25 years in jail, better to save that money for something more important.
Cheers,
Yes but if your argument is accepted the next criminal says "I wanna do no time just like those girls even though I tried to mule in $40 million. Gimme a break too" And on and on we go down the slippery slope until all crimes stop being punished. If you don't want to do the time don't do the crime.
When there's an agreement to transfer an inmate to his country to serve a sentence, the sentence remains the same.
If Australia condemns them to 20 years before possibility of parole, canadians authorities cannot decide to liberate them after 2 or 3 years.
The dilemma that the australian court has is they know that if they give a light sentence and expell them back to Canada after,these girls will never go back to Australia and do not represent a high risk in the future.
But giving them a light sentence, specially that this case had a worldwide audience, it will give the image that you can take the risk to smuggle drugs in Australia and if you get caught you will not get a heavy sentence.
It also would have huge repercussions on jurisprudence for other sentencing in the future.
If you are convicted of the biggest drug importation in australia's history and you only get a few years in jail, the lawyers for future smugglers will ask for even smaller sentences for smaller importations.
Wht if we could get them on a work release program at X/O or Unicorns?
I hear what you are saying A12B and I agree. I would bet that most break ins murders are drug related anyway.
Lagace has not yet been sentenced. What was likely negotiated was that the prosecution will not oppose a request for lenient sentencing treatment based on her cooperation. It should also be noted that Lagace has not yet cooperated- presumably her deal would be to turn State's witness and testify for the prosecution. So why would they work out a sentence when she could conceivably get up on the stand at the Roberge trial and claim memory loss.
At the sentencing hearing both sides have the opportunity to argue and the Court may allow victims or victims advocacy groups to be heard as well. The deal with Lagace probably just calls for the prosecution to lay down on the opposition to the defense's sentencing request, but the Judge likely still has discretion to give her a bigger sentence than what she wants.
I cannot imagine that the prosecution would have worked out a deal with Lagace that does not include her testifying against Roberge, so her sentencing will take that into consideration but I do not know what the sentencing guidelines are under Australian law. The USA has very strict sentencing guidelines in federal drug cases.
The gun law in the states kills far more innocent then drug smuggling, often kids, yet it's not punished by the law. I would put behind jail these stupid parent who let their kid access to their gun or who themselves kill innocent people because of poor gun handling. Sometime the problem is not the punishment, it's the law itself.
Cheers,
''Along with their co-accused, Andre Tamine, four men who were part of the alleged drug operation were also on board the cruise ship in cabins 706 and 715 as the ship sailed towards Australia, the court heard''
Source : https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2449630/cocaine-cruise-plot-canadian-melina-roberge-trial-australia/
I guess no evidence in order to lock up the four other men involved ! I bet they are very organized dudes and I'd bet Quebecers also. Any thoughts ??
Source : https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/2449630/cocaine-cruise-plot-canadian-melina-roberge-trial-australia/
I guess no evidence in order to lock up the four other men involved ! I bet they are very organized dudes and I'd bet Quebecers also. Any thoughts ??
Interesting new development.
Did'nt STN mention that this could have been a trap? Maybe some other dudes on that same ship came out with an even bigger amount of coke?
Cheers,
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