As far as the government is concerned it is no more credit where credit is not due.

Federal legislation has been introduced to do away with the practice of giving offenders double credit for pre-trial custody.

"There is a certain strategy by some to have their clients serve time in remand rather than in sentenced custody," says former Justice Minister, and current Treasury Board President Vic Toews.

That is because anybody waiting in remand for their day in court usually gets a two for one credit if, and when, they are convicted.

For example if an inmate sits in remand for a year and gets a five-year sentence he or she only has to serve three years.

"Eminently frustrating not only to the public, but our members feel at times like we're hamsters running on the wheel. The revolving door's running full speed. This is going to put the brakes on it, re-inject truth into sentencing where five years or 10 years or 15 years actually starts to mean five 10 or 15 years," says Mike Sutherland from the Winnipeg Police Association.

Some say this will speed up the court process since there is no longer any benefit for offenders to wait.

Others say complex cases mean longer remand stays not abuse of the system.

"Because a lot of these people, let's say if they're going to the federal system could be earning parole at one-sixth, earning parole at one-third, and actually would end up doing more in remand custody if they were going off to do their sentence," says Josh Weinstein from the Canadian Bar Association.

Still victims say that does not justify giving someone a two for one credit, or that just because remand centres are overcrowded inmates should end up serving less time.

Over the years lawyers have argued that because their clients have been held in remand centres, where there are few rehabilitation programs, more overcrowding, and fewer privileges than prison, that inmates should be given a double credit for time served.

That has become a common part of sentencing, but with the legislation now introduced that practice may soon end.

Provincial Justice Minister Dave Chomiak is applauding the move as are most justice ministers across the country.

With a report from CTV's Kelly Dehn