By Taylor MacPherson

Inmate advocate defends escorted outings

Oct 26, 2017 | 5:00 PM

After a prisoner escaped while attending a funeral near Prince Albert this week, an advocate for inmates’ rights is defending temporary absences.

Frederick Frank Frenchman escaped from custody Tuesday afternoon while on an escorted temporary absence from Saskatoon Correctional Centre. Frenchman and his twin brother (also a prisoner) were both granted temporary absences to attend a funeral at Little Red River.

According to the Saskatchewan Ministry of Justice, Frenchman was able to get away despite the four guards present at the funeral and the fact he was wearing handcuffs and leg-irons. A ministry spokesperson said details of how Frenchman escaped are still unclear, but the incident is under investigation by both the ministry and police. Safety, he said, is the ministry’s primary concern when inmates are allowed escorted absences.

Greg Fleet, CEO of the John Howard Society of Saskatchewan, said most temporary absences go very smoothly and present little risk. The public only hears about temporary absences after an issue arises, he said, which skews public perception.

“In most cases we don’t hear of any issues. Of course when an inmate does escape custody, that’s when we hear of these events,” Fleet said. “The risk to the community in the majority of the cases is very, very, very low.”

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Inmates are already at increased risk of mental health issues, Fleet said, and denying them absences for compassionate reasons only compounds the risk to their mental health. Funerals are the most common reason for compassionate absences, he said, because of the inherent stress of the grieving process.

“A person that’s incarcerated is already under a level of stress, and when a loved one passes on and they’re unable to attend, it just adds to their mental anguish,” he said. “We support the fact that an inmate would have an opportunity to participate in funeral events.”

Fleet said he believes the ministry’s policies around escorted absences are enough to ensure public safety is protected. There are always two guards per inmate, he said, and the ministry is well within their rights to perform an assessment and deny an escorted absence if they feel the risks outweigh the benefits. The ministry will likely review their policies after Frenchman’s escape, Fleet said, which he hopes doesn’t jeopardize the possibility of escorted absences for other inmates in the future.

“We’re hopeful that they will maintain the protocols that are in place,” he said.

Prince Albert Mayor Greg Dionne agreed, saying he wouldn’t want to see the ministry get rid of escorted absences.

“I don’t want the program to end because I believe you have the right to see your family buried,” Dionne told paNOW.

Dionne said everyone’s first reaction is to condemn escorted absences when they hear of an escape, but said he would prefer to see tougher penalties imposed rather than the program eliminated entirely. The mayor said he would like to see at least a year added to the sentences of escaped inmates, which would be served consecutively with their existing sentences to deter offenders from abusing their privileges.

“He was given a privilege to go to the funeral and he used that to escape,” Dionne said. “There should be repercussions.”

Authorities said Frenchman, who recently began a sentence for aggravated assault and forcible confinement, is dangerous and should not be approached. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is encouraged to contact RCMP or Crime Stoppers.

Taylor.macpherson@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @TMacPhersonNews