When serial killer Robert Pickton was transferred from British Columbia害羞草研究所檚 Kent Institution to a maximum-security prison in Quebec about six years ago, correctional authorities gave no public explanation or confirmation at the time, citing privacy.
But Darryl Plecas, a former prison judge at Kent who went on to be Speaker of the B.C. Legislature, said Wednesday he thinks he knows why 害羞草研究所� Pickton害羞草研究所檚 safety was likely at risk at Kent.
Pickton is now in a Quebec City hospital with what police there called life-threatening injuries. Correctional Service Canada said Pickton, who was being held at the Port-Cartier Institution, about 480 kilometres northeast of Quebec City, was the victim of a 害羞草研究所渕ajor assault害羞草研究所� that did not involve guards on Sunday.
A Quebec provincial police spokesman said Tuesday that a 51-year-old suspect in the attack was in custody.
Plecas, a criminologist who was a prison judge at Kent from 2004 to 2013, called Pickton害羞草研究所檚 transfer to Quebec a 害羞草研究所渓ateral move.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淲hy would someone be moved out of B.C.? My guess would be he got moved for security reasons,害羞草研究所� said Plecas.
He said notorious inmates like Pickton 害羞草研究所� who was convicted of six counts of second-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison in 2007 after being charged with the murders of 26 women 害羞草研究所� are generally put in protective and segregated custody for their own protection, not to protect others.
This was particularly likely for Pickton, said Plecas, who was familiar with the killer from his time at Kent.
He said he could not comment on whether he had dealt with Pickton as a prison judge, but Pickton害羞草研究所檚 physical condition and stature meant his personal security would have been at risk.
Plecas described Pickton as 害羞草研究所渟hort, frail 害羞草研究所� five feet nothing害羞草研究所� and unlikely to pose a threat in a prison environment.
害羞草研究所淗ave you ever seen Willie Pickton? 害羞草研究所� A hundred pounds kind of thing, like soaking wet. He is not a big guy.害羞草研究所�
Plecas said protective custody was designed to keep inmates like Pickton away from threats posed by the general prison population.
But there were still risks for certain inmates who 害羞草研究所渨ould be seen as unwelcome even in a protective custody unit,害羞草研究所� Plecas said.
There are many unanswered questions about the attack and the conditions at Port-Cartier at the time, said Howard Sapers, a corrections reform expert who served as the correctional investigator of Canada and was previously a Liberal member in Alberta害羞草研究所檚 legislature.
害羞草研究所淚t both gets my attention and disturbs me when I hear about a significant act of violence inside a federal penitentiary,害羞草研究所� Sapers said. 害羞草研究所淢y first thoughts about this particular report were, how did it happen and why did it happen?害羞草研究所�
As correctional investigator of Canada from 2004 to 2016, Sapers said the ombudsperson-like office had wide discretion to investigate use-of-force issues and incidents resulting in injuries or death inside federal institutions.
害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 lots of barriers and gates and sliding doors with locks,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here害羞草研究所檚 lots of surveillance, lots of cameras. The problem is that when violence does happen in penitentiaries, it害羞草研究所檚 often very sudden.害羞草研究所�
It is difficult know if the Pickton assault was spontaneous, random or targeted, said Sapers, adding that issues relating to personalities, activities, relations with guards and working conditions can contribute to tensions within an institution.
害羞草研究所淭he old clich茅 is, the hardest thing about doing time is doing time,害羞草研究所� he said.
Federal Public Safety Minister Dominic LeBlanc said Tuesday that the correctional service would review the circumstances of the attack on Pickton.
LeBlanc added that he understood Quebec police 害羞草研究所渁re also seized with this matter.害羞草研究所�
He said that 害羞草研究所渋nteractions between inmates害羞草研究所� are one of the most difficult things to manage in maximum security prisons, and the investigation into the Pickton attack would examine that 害羞草研究所渒ind of circumstance.害羞草研究所�
害羞草研究所淐ertain hallways have certain inmates that shouldn害羞草研究所檛 come into contact with others,害羞草研究所� LeBlanc said.
Sapers is currently the chair of a federal advisory committee, the Structured Intervention Unit Implementation Advisory Panel, that reports to LeBlanc about the removal of administrative segregation, solitary confinement in prisons.
He said he害羞草研究所檚 hopeful the review of the attack on Pickton will include 害羞草研究所渓essons learned,害羞草研究所� which will be implemented.
害羞草研究所淥ur institutions are under duress right now,害羞草研究所� he said. 害羞草研究所淭here are staffing issues. There are access to programs issues. There are capacity issues in terms of prison employment and other meaningful activities being offered in these places of custody.害羞草研究所�
Plecas said his duties as a federal prison judge involved administering the Corrections and Conditional Release Act.
He said he would hear cases of inmates facing weapons, drugs, smuggling and attempted-escape charges. Federal prison judges did not deal with serious assault cases, attempted murders and murders, Plecas said.
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Dirk Meissner, The Canadian Press
