Comment by cperciva
2 days ago
The provinces cannot sentence somebody to prison for more than 2 years (which is why you often see people sentenced to "two years less a day")
No, that's a separate issue. Sentences of less than 2 years are served in Provincial custody; longer sentences are served in Federal custody.
Ah, I think you're right. I was quoting from memory, but it's still a strange separation.
It dates back to the construction of Kingston Penitentiary. They needed a rule to determine who would serve their time in local prisons and who would be sent to the Pen.