Your consulting group has been asked to sit on an expert panel tasked with making evidence-based policy recommendations for improving sentencing guidelines in Canada with the goal of reducing inappropriate sentencing disparity. You may find it helpful to consider the goals and aims of sentencing in Canada, current Canadian sentencing principles, and data from across your readings and practice case application questions this week.

Questions: What are some options? Should Canada consider more detailed sentencing guidelines that include 'starting-point' sentences? Should the government impose more formal or rigid sentencing guidelines to shape and better control judicial decision making? What are the advantage and disadvantages of your proposal? Is sentencing fair in Canada? How can social scientific research and an empirical evidence base support proposed reforms?

These are some example questions to kick off your discussion of whether sentencing reform could benefit Canada, why, and what kinds of solutions may improve outcomes.

Please provide citations and references.