Marco Mendicino said Correctional Service Canada's decision to transfer Paul Bernardo to a prison with fewer restrictions 'does not sit well' with Canadians — but he stopped short of saying he would attempt to force the agency to reverse course.
Conservative MP Tony Baldinelli has introduced a private member's bill that, if passed, would require that "mass murderers be permanently assigned a maximum-security classification."
In a media statement, a spokesperson for the CSC said the committee "will examine the appropriateness of [Bernardo's] security classification and transfer to a medium-security facility, review victims' considerations and notifications, and whether the legislative and policy framework was followed in this case. It will also look at any other relevant considerations specific to this case.
CSC has defended the transfer. In a statement sent to CBC News on Tuesday, the prison agency said Bernardo "could be safely managed in a medium-security institution." Mendicino has said he will not step aside but will press ahead with a plan to change how transfers are communicated. Staff in the Prime Minister's Office were also privy to details about Bernardo's move but did not tell the prime minister personally.
While Mendicino has been under fire from victim advocates and political opponents, an association representing prisoner advocates said Thursday Mendicino's comments on the transfer have been "inappropriate."
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