A 12 foot fence surrounds the perimeter of the Prince Albert Correctional Centre. (Nigel Maxwell/ paNOW Staff)

By Nigel Maxwell

Drugs in the community

Woman who tossed drugs over jail fence receives 12-month sentence

Oct 14, 2022 | 1:00 PM

A woman who coordinated the delivery of drugs into the Prince Albert Correctional Centre, by having them tossed over the fence, has received a 12-month jail sentence.

Tara Bird, 33, appeared by phone Friday at Provincial Court and entered a guilty plea to a single charge of conspiracy to traffic controlled substances in association with, for the benefit of, or at the direction of a street gang.

The police investigation dates back to the spring and summer of 2020. According to facts read in court by Crown Prosecutor Brent Armot, Bird received calls and instructions from inmates within the institution.

Within the small packages that were tossed over, which in some instances were small Kinder eggs, were various quantities of cocaine, meth, pills, cannabis, and tobacco.

Bird, who was neither an inmate nor a staff member, was at one time granted a stay of proceedings but the Federal Crown brought the charges back, citing new information.

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She was released from custody in March, 2022 but arrested again in July after failing to report to a probation officer.

The sentence imposed represented a joint submission from the Federal Crown Prosecutor and Bird’s legal aid lawyer Rebecca Crookshanks, who noted a lengthy set of conversations that had taken place to reach the resolution.

The minimum sentence for this type of offence is typically two years, but Crookshanks explained the reason for Bird’s lighter sentence was her lack of a criminal record and the steps she’s taken since the incident to work on rehabilitation including addictions programming and working to finish her Grade 12. These steps were also acknowledged by Judge Daunt.

“I want to congratulate you on that. It’s not easy,” she said.

In addition to her jail sentence, Bird will be prohibited from owning or possessing a gun or explosives for a period of 10 years, unless for the purpose of hunting.

She’ll also be on probation for a period of 12 months. With credit for time spent in remand, Bird has roughly 130 days left to serve.

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nigel.maxwell@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @nigelmaxwell