Indeed, the approach in regulatory matters has been that jail sentences were to be a sentencing measure of last resort imposed with restraint by the courts. (coveringscanada.ca)
Yet, more and more research studies based on past events acknowledge dykes heightening as measures of last resort or even examples of maladaptation (Hallegatte 2009; Zurich 2014; Wenger 2015), as they give a misleading impression of complete safety which is at odds with the catastrophic consequences in case of failure during flood events (e.g., Di Baldassarre et al. 2015). (link.springer.com)
This may confirm a major shift in the approach to sentencing in regulatory offences (including OH&S), where, traditionally, monetary penalties were commonly imposed and jail sentences were rare and imposed only as a sentencing measure of last resort. (mathewsdinsdale.com)