Notorious inmates unlikely to be moved to Stony Mountain

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This article was published 20/04/2012 (5138 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

WINNIPEG — What are the chances notorious prisoners such as Paul Bernardo and Russell Williams could be coming soon to a prison near you? It’s highly unlikely, says Public Safety Minister Vic Toews.

The question of whether prisoners could be transferred to Stony Mountain Penitentiary came on Thursday when it was announced two of Canada’s federal prisons, including the maximum-security Kingston Penitentiary in Ontario, will be permanently closed.

Kingston houses Canada’s most notorious prisoners, including rapist and killer Bernardo, disgraced former air force officer Williams, as well as Mohammad and Hamed Shafia, who were recently convicted of killing four women, including three teenage girls, in their family.

Stony Mountain is a medium-security prison, although there are plans to build a new 96-bed unit at Stony that could be used as maximum security.

“It wouldn’t be my belief that a guy like Bernardo or Williams would be transferred to a medium-security, which is essentially what Manitoba is,” said Toews. “We’ve got enough nasty guys at Stony Mountain without worrying about whether we could find nastier guys in Ontario.”

Toews said Stony Mountain is already fairly full and doesn’t have a lot of flexibility, although the new cells being built could be used for both medium- and maximum-security prisoners.

“The new cells that are being built there are medium security cells but in a squeeze could be utilized as maximum security,” Toews said.

Built in 1835, Kingston Penitentiary is one of the oldest prisons in continuous use in the world. Located in Kingston, Ont., the facility has four units that can accommodate 421 inmates, but houses 346.

“Institutions built in the 19th century are not appropriate for managing a 21st-century inmate population,” Toews said. “Simply put, we have better options.”

Kevin Grabowsky, regional president for the Union of Canadian Correctional Officers, said they don’t know what effect the closures will have on both Stony Mountain and the adjoining Rockwood Institution, a medium-security facility.

“They’re closing 900 cells and they don’t have a plan,” Grabowsky said.

“A lot of them are in the mental health facility at Kingston Penitentiary. We have a lot of concerns.

“Just for correctional officers, it means some 600 officers will have to be relocated — that could involve the entire country.”

He said the 96-bed expansion at Stony Mountain and a planned 50-bed expansion at Rockwood will not likely meet the needs.

“We have 1,000 more prisoners than beds now. We’re closing about 1,000 and the new units aren’t open.

“What will be do in the interim? I’ve been in this business for 33 years and the math doesn’t make sense to me.”

There are 275 unionized correctional officers at Stony and Rockwood.

A spokesman for the Union of Solicitor General Employees, which represents about 200 members at the two facilities including parole officers, teachers and kitchen staff, could not be reached for comment.

These closures will save the government approximately $120 million per year and result in the reduction of positions within Ontario and Quebec, Toews said.

Most affected staff will be reassigned to other prisons, he added.

According to CSC figures, there are 358 people employed at Leclerc Institution.

There are 465 people employed at Kingston Penitentiary to oversee 346 inmates and the Regional Treatment Centre employs 178 people to oversee 126 inmates.

The facilities will be decommissioned within the next two years, Toews said.

» Winnipeg Free Press, with files from Postmedia News