By Charlene Tebbutt

Missing probation files lead to firing, investigation

Jun 27, 2018 | 8:00 AM

The discovery of a number of missing probation files from local offices has led to one probation officer being fired and an investigation by the province’s information and privacy commissioner.

More than 20 files were reported missing last December from community corrections offices in Prince Albert, La Ronge, and Moose Jaw. The missing files – 22 in total – were reported to the office of the privacy commissioner.

The files contained the personal information of 22 people, including birthdates, address, marital status, family information, and details about their criminal history such as risk assessments, programming applications, and bail reports.

In a report released this month, the Office of the Saskatchewan Information and Privacy Commissioner found the Ministry of Corrections and Policing was appropriate in their response to the breach, although it questioned why the files were not reported missing until 15 months later. Some files were first discovered to be missing in September of 2016, with 11 more reported missing in 2017, and the rest reported this year during an investigation by the Ministry.

“In terms of the steps they took, they handled it properly,” Information and Privacy Commissioner Ron Kruzeniski told paNOW, though he noted the Ministry “would have been wise to take steps sooner.”

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Sixteen of the missing files were found to involve the same probation officer. Interviews with the probation officer did not turn up any information about what happened to the missing files, the report noted, and the probation officer has since been fired. The privacy commissioner’s report also recommended the investigation be forwarded to the province’s public prosecutions office to determine whether any criminal charges should be laid.

All but one of the missing files was inactive, and all but one were recovered during the course of the investigation.

The privacy commissioner’s report recommended all individuals whose files were breached be notified. The report said those notifications began in January of this year, although not every individual could be located.

The report from the privacy commissioner noted that more than 8,000 active probation files are dealt with every year. In an email to paNOW, the Ministry said they see the investigation as an opportunity to identify issues in their system.

“We have and continue to look at areas such as our file management systems, record retention practices, employee awareness and training in order to address any shortcomings in those areas to reduce the likelihood of a similar incident in the future.”

The Ministry said it also accepts the report from the privacy commissioner to forward the case to prosecutions for review. 

Charlene.tebbutt@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @CharleneTebbutt