Chapter 15 – Rehabilitation, Intervention, and Parole for the Toronto 18: Dead Ends and Silver Linings

Abstract

This chapter assesses the spectrum of intervention measures (on a state and non-state level) available to offenders who plan to, or have, committed terrorism-related offences. The author does so with a view to determining whether intervention measures or rehabilitative efforts are sufficiently mitigating for the purpose of sentencing or parole. The author begins by surveying various intervention programs in Canada for persons at the “pre-charge” stage and highlights their practical shortcomings. Relying on this information, she emphasizes that evidence of rehabilitation efforts or work with intervention groups can prove insufficient for the purpose of mitigating a sentence of incarceration or granting parole. The author argues that this phenomenon results in a dead-end at every milestone of the criminal justice system for offenders convicted for terrorism-related offences. Even in cases where offenders have shown an ability to rehabilitate, the weight of their rehabilitative efforts is often questioned by courts and the National Parole Board by virtue of the crime they committed.