Joely Lambourn (“Lambourn”) escaped last Friday afternoon from the Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge near Maple Creek, Saskatchewan. Staff at the lodge discovered Lambourn missing during a routine count at 12:25 p.m.. A warrant is now out for her arrest.
Lambourn was serving a 2 ½ year sentence for dangerous driving causing death after being convicted of the death of a cyclist in May 2015 near Okotoks, Alberta.
At the time of the accident, Lambourn was a suspended driver and had a history of traffic violations for speeding and careless driving. The Judge found that Labourn was distracted while driving, likely by her cell phone, when she veered off the road and hit the cyclist, Deric Kryvenchuk.
WHAT ARE HEALING LODGES?
In 1992, the federal government passed legislation to allow Aboriginal communities to provide correctional services. This legislation was intended to improve the over-representation of Indigenous offenders in Canada’s correctional system and to address concerns that mainstream prisons do not work for Aboriginal offenders.
In 2017, more than 25% of men and 36% of women incarcerated in Canada were Indigenous. In all of Canada, Indigenous people make up 5% of the population.
Aboriginal Healing Lodges are correctional institutions where Aboriginal values, traditions, and beliefs are used to design services and programs for offenders. A holistic and spiritual approach is taken with guidance and support from Elders and Aboriginal Communities.
Healing lodges are minimum/medium–security facilities for Aboriginal women offenders. Healing lodges for Aboriginal men are minimum-security facilities. Non-Aboriginal offenders may also live at a healing lodge, but must agree to follow Aboriginal programming and spirituality.
Lodge residents have “healing plans”, similar to correctional plans. These specify areas the offender has to work on, which may include such issues as substance abuse, employment, education and family.
There are nine Correctional Service Canada (“CSC”) healing lodges across Canada. Four are managed and operated by CSC and five are managed by community partner organizations.
Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge for women offenders in Maple Creek, Saskatchewan is managed by CSC. This was the first healing lodge to open in Canada and it has 30 beds. This facility contains both single and family residential units. Offenders may have children stay with them. Each unit contains a bedroom, bathroom, kitchenette and eating area, and a living room.
Programs in this healing lodge help offenders build strength to make changes in their lives and address vocational training, family, and children. The offenders learn how to live independently by cooking, doing laundry, cleaning, and completing outdoor maintenance chores.
Before a decision is made to move an offender to a healing lodge, an offender’s risk to public safety must be thoroughly assessed. The inmate must require a limited amount of supervision and control within the institution allowing the offender to take on responsibilities as he/she is preparing to reintegrate into the community.
TERRI-LYNNE MCCLINTIC’S STAY AT A HEALING LODGE
Okimaw Ohci Healing Lodge is the same facility that Terri-Lynne McClintic (“McClintic”) was transferred to earlier this year (the date is unknown). McClintic was only eight years into serving a life sentence for first-degree murder in the death of an eight-year-old girl, Tori Stafford (“Stafford”).
McClintic confessed to luring Stafford into the car of her boyfriend on April 8, 2009. Stafford was then sexually assaulted, murdered, and buried in a farmer’s field.
McClintic was transferred from the Grand Valley Institution for Women near Kitchener, Ontario to the healing lodge located in southern Saskatchewan.
McClintic’s transfer to the healing lodge generated passionate debate within the House of Commons and public outcry and protests. This quickly prompted changes to how the Correctional Service of Canada would decide on transferring inmates.
McClintic has been transferred back to a women’s prison in Edmonton. She is not eligible for parole until 2031.
TOUGHER RULES FOR PRISON TRANSFERS FOLLOWING MCCLINTIC TURMOIL
Earlier this month, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale ordered CSC to improve its policies related to the transfer of medium-security women offenders to facilities that do not have a directly controlled perimeter. These changes were effective immediately for existing and future cases.
Transfers will be required to be authorized by CSC’s deputy commissioner for women, under the new policy.
Factors considered in evaluating the suitability of transfers to facilities without a controlled perimeter, include:
- The length of an offenders’ sentence.
- The time remaining before an offender is eligible for an Unescorted Temporary Absence.
- A requirement that long-term offenders be in the “preparation for release” phase of their correctional plan.
- The institutional behaviour of the offender.
We will continue to follow any developments in the circumstances surrounding the escape of Lambourn and the transfer of McClintic as they become available and provide updates in this blog.
In the meantime, to speak with an experienced criminal defence lawyer about any charges laid against you or your legal rights, please contact Barrison Law online or at 905-404-1947. We offer a free consultation and are available to help you 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.