Oct 04/10 - Pt 2: Remand

Prisoners call it dead time. They've been charged with a crime. But they haven't been granted bail. Instead, they wait behind bars for their day in court. It's called remand. And the amount of time you spend in remand varies greatly depending on what city you're in. If it's Toronto, chances are it won't be that long. But if you're in Winnipeg, you should expect to stay a while.

Dean Beeby is a reporter with the Canadian Press. And it was his Freedom Of Information Request that lead to this discovery. We aired a clip.

Emil Brandon knows all too well what it's like to languish in remand. He was in Saskatoon.

Remand - Peter Kirby

Peter Kirby is a lawyer who does legal aid work in Kenora, Ontario. A large number of his clients are aboriginal. And he says changes to the federal justice system brought in by Bill C-25 - The Truth in Sentencing Act - have made things worse for prisoners on remand. Peter Kirby was in Kenora, Ontario.

Remand - Andrew Swan

On average, prisoners in Winnipeg spend more time on remand than prisoners anywhere else in the country. Andrew Swan is Manitoba's Attorney General. And he was in Winnipeg.