A Calgary man with more than 120 convictions for property offences has been placed in a province-wide program meant to help repeat offenders turn their lives around.
The Priority Prolific Offender Program (PPOP) was launched in 2008.
It’s a collaborative effort between law enforcement, courts and probation officers, as they work together to find out why people are reoffending, and get them the help they need to stay out of crime.
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Guy Gorrell has spent years in and out of jail,
Defence Lawyer Balfour Der says we need to find out why a person like this is offending.
“If we can get at the root of the problem, then the person can be reformed, rehabilitated… then that’s the best sentence for all of us… because the person goes back to work, supports their family and supports the community by paying taxes,” says Der.
The PPOP program looks at getting offenders help with addictions or help finding housing, whatever they can offer to keep them out of crime.
PPOP also monitors the progress offenders are making, and if there isn’t any, that’s when they send them to jail
“It’s designed to target the 15 per cent of offenders who commit roughly 60 per cent of all offences,” says Solicitor General Jonathan Denis.
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