http://www.vancouversun.com/news/Politicians+exploit+myth+that+Canada+soft+crime/4549966/story.htmlQuote:
On average, first-degree murderers in our country spend 10 more years in prison than their American counterparts
Thus we arrive at the first myth -that Canada is soft on serious crime. Given the automatic life sentences for murder, one would expect that Canadians convicted of murder would spend much more time in jail than their counterparts in other industrialized nations. And so they do: According to a 2005 Department of Justice report, first-degree murderers spend on average 28.4 years in prison before receiving parole. In comparison, those in Australia, Belgium, Scotland, Sweden and New Zealand serve an average of between 11 and 15 years.
That's a dramatic difference, but here's the kicker: Offenders sentenced to life with parole in the United States spend on average 18.5 years in prison -a full decade less than their counterparts in Canada. It should be noted that most states also sentence some individuals to life without the possibility of parole, but even those offenders serve only 29 years on average.
Consequently, if Canada is soft on the most serious crime, then every other Western democracy, including the United States, is even softer. So the first myth goes down in flames: Canada leads the industrialized world in the length of its murder sentences, even with its supposed get out of jail free card -the faint hope clause.
