Chamber
commons
Stage
1st Reading
Introduced
Sep 22, 2025
Progress
This bill lets courts order offenders to complete rehabilitation programs in custody and increases penalties for large-scale fentanyl trafficking.
Key Changes
- Courts can order offenders to complete specific programs (job training, treatment, or other measures) during their prison sentence, in addition to the sentence itself.
- Offenders must make 'all reasonable efforts' to complete any court-prescribed measures within the timeframe set by the court.
- Correctional Service of Canada must be informed of any court-ordered measures and must factor them into correctional planning.
- Parole boards must consider an offender's progress on court-ordered programs when deciding whether to grant parole.
- Large-scale fentanyl trafficking is added as a formal aggravating factor under the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act, requiring judges to consider it at sentencing.
- Participation in treatment programs requires both the offender's agreement and acceptance by the program director.
Gotchas
- Participation in treatment programs requires the offender's consent, meaning courts cannot force someone into treatment against their will — but non-participation could still affect parole decisions.
- The availability of programs depends on what correctional facilities offer, so court-ordered measures may not always be accessible in practice.
- The bill's preamble explicitly criticizes 'safe supply' programs, signalling a policy position, though the bill's actual legal text does not ban or restrict such programs.
- The definition of 'quantities that indicate trafficking on a large scale' for fentanyl is not defined in the bill, leaving interpretation to the courts.
- The bill does not specify consequences if an offender fails to complete prescribed measures beyond the implication that parole boards will take this into account.
Who's Affected
- Offenders sentenced to prison terms in Canada
- Correctional Service of Canada and prison facility administrators
- Parole boards making release decisions
- People convicted of fentanyl trafficking, especially on a large scale
- Victims of offences (who may receive acknowledgment letters from offenders)
- Treatment and rehabilitation program providers in correctional facilities
Vibes
0 responses
Gotchas
- Participation in treatment programs requires the offender's consent, meaning courts cannot force someone into treatment against their will — but non-participation could still affect parole decisions.
- The availability of programs depends on what correctional facilities offer, so court-ordered measures may not always be accessible in practice.
- The bill's preamble explicitly criticizes 'safe supply' programs, signalling a policy position, though the bill's actual legal text does not ban or restrict such programs.
- The definition of 'quantities that indicate trafficking on a large scale' for fentanyl is not defined in the bill, leaving interpretation to the courts.
- The bill does not specify consequences if an offender fails to complete prescribed measures beyond the implication that parole boards will take this into account.
Summary
Bill C-240, called the Offender Rehabilitation Act, makes three main changes to Canadian law. First, it allows courts to order offenders, on top of their prison sentence, to take part in specific programs while in custody — such as job training, treatment programs (if the offender agrees), or writing letters acknowledging harm done to victims. Second, it updates the rules for correctional plans and parole decisions so that an offender's progress in completing these court-ordered programs is tracked and considered when parole boards decide whether to release someone early. Third, it adds large-scale fentanyl trafficking as an aggravating factor that judges must consider when sentencing someone convicted of trafficking fentanyl, meaning those convicted could face harsher sentences. The bill was introduced in response to concerns about the opioid and addiction crisis in Canada. Its preamble criticizes 'safe supply' programs and argues that the justice system should direct addicted offenders into structured, in-custody treatment. The goal is to use the criminal justice system as a pathway to recovery and reintegration, while also cracking down harder on those who profit from trafficking powerful opioids like fentanyl. This is a Private Member's Bill introduced by Ms. DeRidder in the 45th Parliament. It affects people who are sentenced to prison, correctional facilities, parole boards, and those convicted of drug trafficking offences.
Automatically generated from bill text using Claude
Vibes
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