A conditional sentence (sometimes referred to as house arrest) is a jail sentence that is served within the confines of one’s residence. A person’s home becomes their jail. A breach of any conditions imposed will land them in real jail. People often consider this to be a soft touch, but in this case, Lori Douglas was Associate Chief Justice of the Court of Queens Bench in Manitoba until removed by the Canadian Judicial Council. In her isolation she gained some insight: “I got more and more depressed. I was stuck in the house. I had nothing,” says Douglas, noting her situation changed her perspective on the idea of house arrest for criminals rather than jail. “Got to tell you, I’ll never criticize that again. It felt like a prison.” Douglas says she’d experience panic every morning. She relied on friends to help her get through the day. And if she could make it to noon, the panic would go away. Without that support, she says, she would have committed suicide. “I lost my job. I lost my life. I lost my reputation. If it hadn’t been for my son, there would have been little reason to keep on.”
Source: Behind the headlines