Guest: Susan Clairmont, Hamilton Spectator justice columnist

How long should offenders with more than one murder conviction stay in prison before they are eligible for parole? According to the Supreme Court, the answer is 25 years. Earlier this year, the court found the practice of consecutive life sentences (serving more than 25 years before parole eligibility) to be cruel and unjust. While this is a decision that only affects a few high-profile criminals, it reminds us of some of the worst crimes in Canadian history and will have a direct impact on the families of homicide victims.

This episode was produced by Brian Bradley, Paulo Marques and Raju Mudhar.

Audio sources: CBC