Evidence of meeting #17 for Public Safety and National Security in the 41st Parliament, 2nd Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was warden.
A video is available from Parliament.
March 27th, 2014 / 5:25 p.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
Thank you Mr. Garrison.
I have two quick questions, because I know I don't have a lot of time.
Mr. McCormack, we did hear from Kim Hancox. She talked about the warden not having any accountability. That is a major concern for me. I'd like to have your thoughts on that. In particular, do you believe that the warden should have involved the victims in the same process that the Parole Board would have done?
5:25 p.m.
President, Toronto Police Association
I'll answer the last question first. No, because I don't think this process is acceptable in any form.
Again, the honourable Mr. Easter brought up the thresholds. We're talking about putting the most violent offenders back out into the public, and the risk. It clearly does not meet the procedural fairness or the transparency that's required, that you would have such a high level in looking at something, and then say okay, but now we have completely thrown out all accountability and transparency. Nobody can pinpoint what the criteria are, what they are using, what the benchmarks are, what the thresholds are when a warden makes that decision. So why would the victim...?
This has to stop. That's the bottom line. Whether the victim gets involved or not, it just has to stop. You have to have it very transparent. We all see the damage that it does to public confidence. If you were to say to a member of the public that we have this, I think any member of the public would ask why we have this if we're not going to abide by it.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
My question for Mr. Grabowsky is about the gentleman, Gingras,who was one of the released individuals who came to my riding and murdered an individual.
5:25 p.m.
Conservative
LaVar Payne Conservative Medicine Hat, AB
One of the things they talk about that the warden takes into consideration is the escape risk. I don't understand what would go into that, and I wonder if you could tell us. In that kind of situation, what information would go into whether or not an individual is an escape risk?
5:30 p.m.
President, Union of Canadian Correctional Officers
It comes from intelligence from inside the prison, from outside the prison, gathered through mail, through telephone conversations, through interactions with staff. It's his behaviour in the jail, it's who he.... It's an intelligence gathering that's put forward, but it's not something that is really credited the way it should be.
Once someone has escaped once, then it's really easy to say there's an escape risk. For us as correctional officers, it's harder to prove he's an escape risk if he has never escaped .
5:30 p.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Daryl Kramp
Thank you very much.
We are out of time for today's hearing.
On behalf of the committee, Mr. Grabowsky, thank you very kindly for testifying before committee today and for taking the extra effort to do so by way of teleconference.
Mr. McCormack, it was certainly a pleasure to welcome you back and accept your sage advice at this committee.
The committee would like to thank you all for participating today.
The meeting is adjourned.