By Lasia Kretzel

Milgaard calls for independent justice review board

Feb 12, 2015 | 6:17 AM

A man who was wrongfully convicted of murder and locked up for 23 years in Saskatchewan says “Canada’s justice system is a failure” and has called for its overhaul to make sure no more innocent people end up behind bars. 

Speaking to a packed University of Saskatchewan classroom on Wednesday, David Milgaard called on the federal government to create independent review boards to get innocent people out of prison faster.

“Our punitive justice model in Canada fails all of us miserably,” he said. “Enough mistakes… No one has the right to disqualify people from life.”

Milgaard said the criteria for a review should be reduced, and the boards must have the ability to quickly review evidence so that innocent people “can get out of their cages.” He stressed that the board should consist of members of the public, rather than police. 

“We are fools if we think this potential corruption doesn’t exist,” he said, referring to the idea that police have a vested interest in appearing to solve crimes regardless of the evidence.

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In 1970, Milgaard was wrongfully convicted of the murder of nursing student Gail Miller. Following years of attempted appeals and bureaucratic blocking, DNA evidence exonerated Milgaard. He was finally released in 1992 and awarded $10 million in compensation from the provincial and federal governments in 1999.

A 2005 inquiry into his case recommended the creation of an independent review board; a reality Milgaard is still waiting for.

More than 100 U of S law students, faculty and members of the public crammed into the class room to hear David Milgaard recall the ordeal that still haunts him to this day.

Among the crowd, Tanya Beauchamp feels the same pain. The 35-year-old mother was locked up for more than a month and spent 38 days in solitary for charges that were eventually stayed. 

She lost her home, her insurance, her job as a Saskatoon Correctional Centre guard, and temporarily lost custody of her children. During the whole process, she said her complaints fell on deaf ears. 

“The RCMP investigate the RCMP… the police were investigating the police department. To me, I just felt like I was dealing with the same people that wanted me in jail,” she said.

Beauchamp now works as a female prisoner liaison with the Elizabeth Fry Society. She said the ordeal resonated with her children, who were used to seeing their mother in a guard uniform upholding the law. The family is now attending counselling together. 

She said her children’s school and the community have been very supportive.

“The community is where we need to do those independent civilian reviews because they will embrace you,” she said. 

At the U of S, Milgaard said being back in Saskatoon doesn’t stir up any anger in him. 

He called on the law students to be responsible and caring in their duties and advocate for restorative justice. 

“This will bring hope to others,” he said. 

Marjaleena Repo was among a group of residents who welcomed Milgaard back into the community when he was released from prison. Today, the two are good friends. 

She said she hopes students at Wednesday’s event study Milgaard’s case and learn from it. 

“They can be the change agents themselves,” she said. 

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