What was I just saying about parole?
Recent conversation with an American friend:
- So you're from Canada, right?
- Yes, but I immigrated to the States.
- Do they have the death penalty in Canada?
- No, we believe it's too barbaric.
- Well what about life imprisonment?
- Oh yes, we have that. Well, sort of.
- How sort of?
- Well in Canada mandatory life sentence is 25 years.
- 25 years?
- That's for the worst of the worst. But in some cases they could be paroled after serving 2/3rds of their sentence.
- So in Canada life in prison means 16 1/2 years?
- Pretty much. Life = 16.5.
Oh there's a doozy in this week's Ottawa Citizen. A board of investigations for the National Parole Board has slapped Corrections Canada on the wrists for failing to adequately assess the risk potential of "psychopath" (their usage), Conrad Brossard.
Brossard was imprisoned for violent offences beginning in 1966. Then he was released. Then he was convicted of murder in 1970. But he was released again. Then he was convicted of attempted murder in 1980, but he escaped. Then he was convicted of attempted murder in 1987 while on... (that's right) parole!
How many is that? I've lost count. Wait, I'm not done yet.
Then Brossard was again granted parole in early 2002.
The 55-year-old was granted permission to work in a nursing home where he proceeded to abduct a senior citizen and stab her to death with a pair of sissors.
Apparently, when Brossard was up for the 2002 parole, there was no chronology of his past offences in his file so the parole board let him go. Corrections Canada was also chastized for the use of freelance psychologists in Quebec (did I mention this all took place in Quebec?); who are high on value but none too bright:
"Using freelance psychologists is a management choice that has the benefit of saving a great deal of money for the Quebec region, although it has the disadvantage of lacking quality control,''
So what's the upshot of all of this? Nothing. The board of investigation, appointed by both Corrections Canada and the National Parole Board, absolved the parole board of any blame, saying it acted properly on the information laid before it.
What information??? There was nothing in the guys file!!!! Shouldn't somebody swing for that!!!!
But wait... I haven't got to the punch line. Are you ready for it? It's real good... here it comes...
Brossard will be eligable for parole in 2029.
posted by John Allore @ 1/27/2004 03:40:00 PM
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