Sending criminals to jail is a crucial component of our justice system. It both sends a message to the offender, and protects the public by removing the criminal from our streets for a certain period of time.
So it makes me wonder, then, why we are sending Brian Knight to jail.
The Stettler-area farmer was handed a sentence of 90 days in jail by a judge today in Red Deer.
The 41-year-old father had pleaded guilty earlier this year to a charge of criminal negligence.
Last one night back in March of 2009, Knight was awoken from a dead sleep by his wife who was in tears after noticing some men on their property trying to steal their ATV.
Knight ran out into the freezing weather in his boxer shorts and a pair of boots. Not knowing what he might encounter, he grabbed his firearm.
Knight got in his truck and chased the thief who was fleeing on the stolen ATV. The truck bumped the ATV and the thief took off on foot. In an attempt to frighten the thief and get him to stop, Knight fired two shots into the air above the thief. However, some pellets did fall and strike the thief in the back.
Brian Knight has never been in trouble with the law. He is a hard-worker, a devoted father, and a community leader. If the authorities really believed he was trying to shoot or hurt this thief, then presumably he would have been charged with assault or something even more serious. It seems incredibly unjust to lock him up for this.
Maybe Knight overreacted. Maybe he should have just said "it's only an ATV" and simply phoned the police.
Certainly, though, for those living in rural areas, there's the worry and frustration that thieves think they can steal property and get away with it, since police can't quickly respond.
It's bad enough that we've deemed Brian Knight of someone worthy of imprisonment, but it's even more outrageous when you consider that the thief in question actually got less time in jail - a third of what Knight will serve.
The judge may think a message has been sent to Knight, but this verdict sends a much different message - one that should concern us all.
(More on the Brian Knight Legal Defence Fund here)
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