Latest news with #inmate
CTV News
a day ago
- General
- CTV News
Death of inmate at Bowden prison under investigation
The Bowden Institution medium security facility near Bowden, Alta., Thursday, March 19, 2020. (THE CANADIAN PRESS/Jeff McIntosh) Correctional Service Canada (CSC) is investigating the death of an inmate at the Bowden Institution in central Alberta. CSC announced the death of Gilbert Robinson, 69, on May 30, but didn't release details on how he died. Robinson was convicted of second-degree murder in 2018 in the death of his estranged wife in his Edmonton home. He was sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole for 13 years. The Bowden Institution is a medium-security prison in Innisfail. Officials say Robinson's next of kin have been notified.
The Sun
2 days ago
- General
- The Sun
Lovestruck prison officer had phone sex with inmate then bombarded his mum with 900 messages to keep fling going
A LOVESTRUCK prison officer had phone sex with an inmate then bombarded his mum with 900 messages to keep the fling going. Megann Gibson embarked on an illicit relationship with the lag while working at HM Prison Wealstun in West Yorkshire. The 26-year-old allowed the unnamed prisoner into restricted areas of the category C jail and visited him at his resettlement accommodation. Gibson also sent his mum more than 900 messages in an apparent bid to keep in touch with the inmate. The rookie officer is now facing jail after pleading guilty to misconduct in a public office. Gibson, who also admitted possession of cannabis, will be sentenced in August. The judge warned her: "You may well be serving a prison sentence." The charge states that she engaged in an "inappropriate relationship" with the serving prisoner. This includes having "sexual communications via telephone". Wealstun houses around 900 prisoners and offers training courses to help with rehabilitation. Gibson is the latest prison officer to become romantically entangled with an inmate. Last month, Morgan Farr Varney was locked up after she was caught sneaking into a cupboard with an inmate she fell in love with. Katie Evans, 26, was jailed earlier this year after performing a sex act with a convicted burglar and referring to herself as his "queen". While in February, Toni Cole admitted sending more than 4,000 sexual messages to an inmate. 2
Yahoo
2 days ago
- General
- Yahoo
Lexington man escapes Lee County jail by posing as his brother
A man escaped from a Lee County jail Thursday by posing as his brother. Kentucky State Police are searching for Jeffrey Harrison, 43, of Lexington, who was serving a 12-month sentence for first-degree promotion of contraband at a jail in Beattyville. Officials released Harrison after he posed as his brother — also an inmate — who was scheduled for release on Thursday. Harrison wasn't identified as missing until six hours after his mistaken release, when the jail did nightly roll call and he wasn't there. Kentucky State Police said in a news release Harrison was last seen wearing a red jacket, camo shoes and a black hat. He may have left the area in an older model of a white Subaru. Harrison is a white man with brown hair and blue eyes. He's 5 feet, 9 inches tall, and weighs 138 pounds. Anyone with information that might help law enforcement find Harrison is asked to call KSP Post 7 in Richmond at (859) 623-2404.
ABC News
2 days ago
- Health
- ABC News
Inside a Victorian prison where an inmate recorded seven suicide attempts in four weeks
A former prisoner says she documented seven suicide attempts in just four weeks inside Victoria's maximum security women's prison, amid a wave of lockdowns triggered by staff shortages. Warning: This story contains references to self-harm and suicide attempts. Kelly Flanagan was released on parole from Dame Phyllis Frost Centre in late March, she had been incarcerated for 42 months after being found guilty of armed robbery, kidnapping and false imprisonment. She described her crimes as a "drug deal gone wrong". Since July last year, the prison faced unprecedented rolling lockdowns disrupting legal, health and welfare services, as well as cutting off visits and phone calls. Lockdowns are usually reserved for emergencies like riots or other security breaches. However, at the Dame Phyllis Frost Centre, they've been routinely implemented due to a lack of staff. With each prisoner sealed in a small individual cell, Ms Flanagan likened the conditions to solitary confinement. She says she and her fellow prisoners were locked away with no interaction or support or sometimes even meals for days and nights on end. "You'd normally get unlocked at 8:30 in the morning, they would count everyone … and then the next thing you know, you're not getting let out. So you're required to stay in your cell," she told 7.30. Her diary documents a suicide attempt by a fellow inmate on March 13, the attending nurse said the inmate had slashed her own throat and wrists. Just two days later, another attempt was recorded in her documents. Ms Flanagan wrote notes about five further attempts involving Indigenous women in a separate unit. "This is what happens when you put us in a space with no connection," she told 7.30. Two years before Waradjari woman Ms Flanagan was incarcerated, another Indigenous woman, Veronica Nelson, died in custody at the same prison. An inquest into her death prompted major reforms, but Ms Flanagan says she fears the widespread lockdowns could lead to another death in custody. "Enough is enough. How many more people need to die for someone to listen, for someone to take accountability?" Ms Flanagan asked. "I feel like I owe it to the other women to give them a voice." The Department of Justice and Community Safety (DJCS) told 7.30 in a statement "lockdowns are sometimes required to ensure the safety of staff and prisoners". Confidential government correspondence obtained by 7.30 reveals there have been at least 106 lockdowns at the prison since July last year. One letter, signed by the Department of Justice and Community Safety's acting secretary, Ryan Phillips, insists meals and legal visits have continued as usual and denies any rise in self-harm incidents. It also states no unit was locked down for more than one consecutive day. However, a log of legal and other services also obtained by 7.30 contradicts these assurances. On February 18, a 43-hour lockdown was recorded. 'No access out of cell', the entry states. On November 8 and 11, 'no dinner' is catalogued. Former prisoner Kelly Flanagan also noted 'no dinner' in her diary on those days. The same activity log documents seven missed legal appointments and the cancellation of 28 housing-related appointments, a critical requirement for prisoners nearing release. Without secured housing, inmates cannot be paroled. Adriana Mackay from the support service Flat Out says multiple women they've supported were held in prison months beyond their release dates because lockdowns prevented them from attending key housing appointments. "Housing offers will be rescinded and taken off the table, and we're left really scrambling, trying to advocate for the housing offer to remain whilst there is an uncertainty," Ms Mackay said. She recalls supporting Kelly Flanagan while she was still inside, noting Ms Flanagan missed most of her appointments due to lockdowns and remained in custody months past her release date. A number of support services, including Flat Out, have raised concerns about the impact of the lockdowns, but Ms Mackay says government officials continue to dismiss them. "What we're seeing on the ground versus what's being told to us … they don't match up," Ms Mackay. "We're just all at a loss." A spokesperson for the DJCS told 7.30 prisoners "continue to have their healthcare needs met if a lockdown occurs and arrangements are also made to ensure access to legal services and rehabilitation". Earlier this month, more than 1,000 prison officers cast a no-confidence vote in the state's Corrections Commissioner Larissa Strong. The CPSU, which conducted the vote, cited soaring violence, a string of assaults against staff across the prison system and chronic staff shortages, problems expected to get even worse under the state's tougher bail laws, which were introduced in March and are likely to increase the prison population. To address this, the Victorian government announced a $727 million cash injection, which will go towards securing 1,000 more prison beds. The government has also launched an aggressive recruitment drive for prison guards, which includes an $8,000 sign-on sweetener for recruits. Victorian Premier Jacinta Allan said more than 640 new prison officers have already signed on. However, the state's Shadow Corrections Minister David Southwick said the new measures are not enough to transform what he calls a system in crisis. "It's just crazy, the fact that this government has allowed it to get this bad," Mr Southwick said. He says prison guards have been contacting him directly, expressing their unwillingness to turn up to work due to safety concerns and a lack of support from management. "Four staff were injured yesterday due to non-compliant prisoners," one text read. "Two more of my colleagues have been assaulted. One sustained a punch to the face, and the other was spat on." another read. He says some guards are now refusing to show up for work, while others are quitting the service altogether, worsening staff shortages and creating further lockdowns. "It's just a vicious cycle," Mr Southwick said. The Minister for Corrections Enver Erdogan told 7.30 in a statement he has asked the Commissioner to review "how handcuffs and other measures are used to make sure staff safety is put first." "We are continuing to recruit hundreds of new corrections staff … with new recruits starting at DPFC (Dame Phyllis Frost Centre) soon." Watch 7.30, Mondays to Thursdays 7:30pm on ABC iview and ABC TV Do you know more about this story? Get in touch with 7.30 here.
CBC
3 days ago
- Health
- CBC
Still no charges in Robert Pickton prison death a year after fatal assault
New B.C. serial killer died after an attack by another inmate in the Port-Cartier maximum security prison Image | Caption: Police found the remains or DNA of 33 women on Robert Pickton's Port Coquitlam, B.C., farm. A year after his death following a prison assault, prison justice advocates are asking for an inquiry into his death. (CBC) A year to the day after serial killer Robert Pickton died following an assault by another inmate in a Quebec prison, there have been no charges against the alleged assailant and few answers about what happened. Pickton died in hospital on May 31, 2024, after being assaulted at the Port-Cartier maximum security prison 12 days prior. The 74-year-old was convicted in 2007 of six counts of second-degree murder but was suspected of killing dozens more women at his pig farm in Port Coquitlam, B.C. The Correctional Service of Canada first issued a release on May 20 last year about a "major assault" on an inmate, adding "the assailant has been identified and the appropriate actions have been taken." The agency later confirmed the injured inmate was Pickton, and that he had died. Quebec provincial police identified the suspect as a 51-year-old inmate, but did not release a name. WATCH | Pickton dies after fatal prison assault: Media | Serial killer Robert Pickton is dead Caption: Robert Pickton had been in hospital since May 19 after being the target of what Correctional Service Canada called a "major assault" at the maximum-security Port-Cartier Institution in Quebec. The 74-year-old B.C. man had been found guilty of murdering six women in the Vancouver area, but had bragged about killing 49. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Earlier this week, the force said its investigation remained open. "Some expert reports are still ongoing. As this is an active file, we will not comment further," the Sûreté du Québec wrote in an email. By phone, a spokesperson said the police file had not yet been handed over to the Quebec Crown prosecutor's office, who will decide whether charges will be laid. Image | Robert Pickton court sketch Caption: This is a artist's drawing of Robert Pickton appearing on a video link to B.C. Supreme Court in New Westminster on May 25, 2005. Pickton was suspected of killing dozens of Indigenous women at his pig farm. (Jane Wolsack/The Canadian Press) Open Image in New Tab Spokesperson Audrey-Anne Bilodeau added police sometimes take more time to investigate when a suspect is already behind bars because there is no risk to the public. Correctional Service Canada said it expects to publish the results of investigations into the death "in the near future," spokesperson Kevin Antonucci wrote in an email. "Time was required to ensure that they were fully translated and vetted in accordance with the Privacy Act." Calls for public inquiry Advocates for prisoners' rights expressed concern about the lack of answers about what happened and said the death raises questions about inmate security. "We're concerned about a number of deaths have occurred at the hands of other prisoners without any clear answers," Catherine Latimer of the John Howard Society said in a phone interview. Latimer cited a fatality report published earlier this year by Alberta Justice Donna Groves into the death of a 21-year-old inmate who was knifed to death inside his cell by another inmate at the Edmonton Institution in 2011. The report raised a number of questions, including why the two inmates were allowed out of their cells at the same time despite belonging to rival gangs and being under orders not to be around other inmates. Groves called for a public inquiry into the death, saying it's the only way to get to the bottom of three guards' actions that day, including concerns they were running a prison "fight club." Latimer said the report shows there is a serious problem with "incompatible or vulnerable prisoners" being exposed to others who want to kill them. "Pickton really raises that," she said. Pickton, she added, would likely have been considered "vulnerable" because the nature of his offences would have made him a potential target. Prison deaths tough to investigate Howard Sapers, who spent 12 years as Correctional Investigator of Canada, said sudden prison deaths – particularly criminal ones – are often long and tough to investigate. "There are difficulties in terms of accessing crime scenes, preserving crime scenes, obtaining witness statements, so all of those things tend to frustrate investigations," he said. He added such investigations are often not a priority – at least in terms of speed – due to a lack of generalized public safety risk. He said federal investigators probing Pickton's death will be looking at whether protocol and policy was followed in areas such as contraband and weapons, underground trade in weapons and drugs, gang conflicts and known threats against an individual. Tom Engel, the former president of the Canadian Prison Law Association, agreed that Pickton's reputation would have meant he was at high risk of being assaulted by other inmates. "The question has to be asked, 'Well, how could this happen when he's at high risk?'" he said in a phone interview. LISTEN | Questions over prison safety: Media | Breakaway : Is Canada's federal prison system safe for all inmates? Caption: The assault on serial killer Robert Pickton at the Port Cartier prison is raising questions about the safety of inmates within federal prisons. Alison speaks with Senator Kim Pate, who says she is very concerned about the lack of respect for human rights towards those who are sentences in our country. Open Full Embed in New Tab Loading external pages may require significantly more data usage than loading CBC Lite story pages. Engel said he wasn't surprised by the lack of charges so far. He said investigations can be lengthy, in part because correctional staff and inmates can be reluctant to fully co-operate with police. The announcement of Pickton's death last year was met with public expressions of satisfaction and joy rather than concern. Families of victims used words such as "healing," "overjoyed" and "justice" to describe the death of a man who preyed upon vulnerable women in Vancouver's Downtown Eastside, many of them Indigenous. But Engel believes the fate of prison inmates should be a concern. "Members of the public who believe in human rights, who believe in the rule of law, who believe that the Criminal Code of Canada applies to everybody should care about this, because you can't have this kind of lawlessness going on in a prison," he said. Sapers noted prisons can be dangerous for both inmates and correctional staff. And he said many of the solutions, which include more investment in staffing, training, prison infrastructure and programming to meaningfully occupy prisoners, benefit both groups. "Often people don't make the link to safe environments for people who are in custody are also safe environments for people who have to work there, and I think it's a really important point to make," he said.
