Open for signatureElectronice-7639 · Parliament 45

Strengthen prison communications powers

Sign on the House of Commons website

Petitioners ask that the Corrections and Conditional Release Act be amended to give authorities powers to control inmate communications, increase penalties for harassment in custody, and prevent life‑sentenced inmates from shielding pensions from civil judgments.

Why we would sign this petition

  • Gives authorities clearer legal tools to detect and stop inmate communications that harass or revictimize victims, improving victim safety and reducing ongoing harm.
  • Tougher penalties and institutional consequences could deter inmates from committing harassment while incarcerated and hold them accountable for continued criminal conduct.
  • Preventing life‑sentenced offenders from shielding pension income helps ensure civil judgments for victims or families can be enforced and compensated.

Why we wouldn’t sign this petition

  • Broad powers to monitor and intercept communications risk privacy violations and may be misapplied without strong safeguards, clear standards and independent oversight.
  • Harder penalties and institutional sanctions risk disproportionate punishment or procedural unfairness if not paired with clear definitions and due‑process protections.
  • Removing pension protections for life‑sentenced inmates may raise legal conflicts with existing pension rules and complicate enforcement; targeted enforcement mechanisms might be more practicable.

The summary and both sets of reasons are AI-generated from the petition and given equal weight. Claims are the petitioners’ own; consult the official record for the full text.

Official petition

Petition to the Government of Canada Judy Fraser was murdered by her estranged husband, who is serving a life sentence in federal prison; Despite his incarceration, he has twice been charged with criminal harassment, demonstrating that some offenders continue to victimize families while imprisoned; Victims and their families should be protected from ongoing harassment and abuse by incarcerated offenders; The Corrections and Conditional Release Act should provide Correctional Service Canada with stronger authority to monitor, intercept and restrict inmate communications when necessary to prevent criminal conduct and protect victims; and Federal legislation should ensure that offenders serving life sentences cannot use statutory pension protections to avoid satisfying court-ordered civil judgements obtained by victims or their families. We, the undersigned, citizens of Canada, call upon the Government of Canada to: 1. Amend the Corrections and Conditional Release Act, including sections 89(1), 94 and 95 where appropriate, to strengthen Correctional Service Canada’s authority to monitor and intercept inmate communications used to harass or revictimize victims and their families; 2. Introduce legislation creating stronger penalties and appropriate institutional consequences for inmates who continue to commit criminal harassment or related offences while incarcerated; and 3. Review federal laws governing exemption laws and introduce amendments to ensure that offenders serving life sentences cannot shield pension income from lawful enforcement of civil judgements awarded to victims or their families.

Government response

No government response is available yet.