That's not true. You can write into the law - as has been done with some - that first time and repeat offenders are treated differently.
One of the problems with the current crop of judges is their inability to pass severe sentences. Take any sliding scale available to Canadian judges, say from 1 - 10 years, and examine the sentences handed out over the past, and you'll find 90% of sentences in the bottom third of the sentencing scale. I don't know if they've been discouraged from handing out severe sentences due to lack of space, or they're just a bunch of bleeding heart liberals appointed because of their affiliation with the Liberal Party of Canada, but I do know that we hardly ever get severe sentenes from them, no matter the severity of the crimes.
Proof of all that rhetoric please.