Correctional Service of Canada to Unveil Review Results on Paul Bernardo’s Medium-Security Prison Transfer

Correctional Service of Canada is expected to release the conclusions of a thorough investigation into the contentious decision to move convicted serial murderer Paul Bernardo to a medium-security jail. Commissioner Anne Kelly, flanked by other authorities, will attend a press conference at 1:45 p.m. to discuss the circumstances of Bernardo’s transfer and security classification.

Bernardo had been confined in a maximum-security prison for over three decades, most recently at the Millhaven Institution near Kingston, Ont., before being transferred to La Macaza Institution in Quebec in late May.

Bernardo is serving an indeterminate life sentence for the kidnapping, assault, and murder of Kristen French, 15, and Leslie Mahaffy, 14, in the early 1990s in St. Catharines, Ontario. The transfer decision has drawn heavy public scrutiny, leading Conservative Party calls for Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino to quit. Given the awful nature of Bernardo’s acts, Minister Mendicino has stated that the Canadian Correctional Service owes Canadians an explanation.

In response to the concerns expressed, Minister Mendicino has announced that he would issue a directive requiring the Correctional Service to notify the minister in advance of any transfer involving high-profile or dangerous criminals. The goal of this legislation is to address the need for increased accountability and openness in such choices.