OTTAWA – A review conducted by the Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) has found that the decision to transfer Paul Bernardo, a notorious serial rapist and convicted killer, to a medium-security prison was “sound” and in line with all applicable laws and policies. The transfer, which occurred in late May, relocated Bernardo from the maximum-security Millhaven Institution in Ontario to the medium-security La Macaza Institution in Quebec.
The decision was based on an effective offender integration plan and Bernardo’s “generally conformist” behavior. The CSC’s Case Management Team had worked for years to facilitate his integration within the inmate population. While the release of such specific personal information about an offender is rare, it was done in this case to address public interest and the desire to understand the reasoning behind the reclassification.
The review also revealed that CSC “went above policy” to notify victims, but it recommended additional steps be taken to provide more information to victims. The panel recommended strengthening victim notifications and engagement by establishing a dedicated committee for this purpose, a recommendation that CSC has agreed to implement.
The controversy surrounding Bernardo’s transfer sparked political debates and concerns among the public. The government had not disclosed the transfer plans until after it had occurred, prompting questions about communication and transparency. Public Safety Minister Marco Mendicino expressed concerns on behalf of the families of Bernardo’s victims and all Canadians. In response to the controversy, the CSC conducted a thorough review of the transfer and pledged to address victim considerations and notifications.
As of now, there are no plans to reverse Bernardo’s relocation, and Commissioner Anne Kelly emphasized that an inmate can be returned to a higher security level if necessary to ensure public safety or the safety of institutions. The ministerial directive drafted in response to the review aims to reform how the corrections agency handles high-profile prison transfers.
Paul Bernardo is serving an indeterminate life sentence for his involvement in the kidnapping, rape, torture, and murder of two teenagers, Kristen French and Leslie Mahaffy, in the early 1990s. He was also convicted of manslaughter in the death of Tammy Homolka. The review’s findings uphold the decision to transfer Bernardo to the medium-security prison while implementing improvements to victim notifications and engagement.