Ontario’s Ford government is once again pounding the “tough on crime” drum, urging Ottawa to tighten bail and sentencing rules. In a Sept. 22 letter to federal Justice Minister Sean Fraser and Public Safety Minister Gary Anandasangaree, Solicitor General Michael Kerzner and Attorney General Doug Downey demanded sweeping changes: scrapping bail eligibility for offences like murder and intimate partner violence, reinstating mandatory minimum sentences, and even introducing a “three-strikes” rule that would automatically deny bail to repeat offenders.
At first glance, these proposals may sound like common sense. Who wouldn’t want violent offenders kept behind bars? But scratch beneath the surface and it’s clear that Ontario’s approach is more political theatre than practical policy. Canada’s existing bail system already allows judges to detain those who pose a real risk to public safety. The Supreme Court has repeatedly affirmed that bail is a constitutional right, not a privilege for politicians to revoke based on headline-grabbing crimes.
Mandatory minimums and “three-strikes” rules have a long history in the United States, and the results are telling: overcrowded prisons, ballooning costs, and no clear evidence of reduced crime. These policies often punish marginalized communities the hardest, entrenching cycles of poverty and incarceration rather than addressing the root causes of violence.
Even Fraser’s forthcoming Liberal legislation promising stricter bail for repeat and violent offenders acknowledges a more balanced reality. The federal plan aims to combine accountability with prevention, tackling mental health, addiction, youth employment, and housing. Those measures may not make for flashy sound bites, but they stand a far better chance of reducing crime long-term than simply throwing people in jail and hoping for the best.
Public safety matters. But equating safety with harsher sentences and automatic bail denial is a political shortcut, not a solution. If Ontario truly wants safer streets, it should invest in the proven levers of change: mental health services, addiction treatment, and community supports. Fear can win votes, but it won’t build safer communities.
