Crime and Punishment

Does the Punishment fit the Crime?

"Each year, Canada spends $13 billion on policing, courts and corrections..." reveals "Crime and Punishment" of The Star news online.

If those figures caught your attention, then you will definitely be interested in a fairly new website that gives an inside and very detailed look on crime and punishment in Toronto. Founder and well-renowned photojournalist, Jim Rankin spent 7 years working on the site. Most of his time was spent trying to get every criminal record he could get his hands on, something he says, is an on-going process.

The site, which includes an interactive game where you get to be the judge of a real life crime, also gives a detailed analysis and statistics of those with criminal records in Canada.

Rankin holds the view that prevention is better than cure,“If we spend early, (referring to spending money programs that help those more likely to lead a life of crime) we’re going to save money and fewer people are going to be sitting in jails and cells. (We) should take this money and invest it in other things, example for single mums.”

In the United States, they are people serving unjust sentences for misdemeanors such as possession of a single "joint". Canada seems to be "cracking down on crime" and following suit, filling up the jails and spending about $255/day for Federal jail per prisoner.

TheStar.com: Crime & Punishment


This site intends to educate the public about what is the state of crime in Canada, how the government is dealing with the issue and gives readers a chance to rethink how they view the ways in which criminals are punished.