Randall Hopley: Who is to blame for the missing high-risk offender?
CBC
It's been nearly a week since a high-risk offender virtually disappeared while under long-term supervision, and there's been no shortage of blame over where Canada's penal system fell short.
B.C.'s premier blamed Canada's parole board, suggesting that impending legislation could prevent this situation from happening again.
The premier's political opponents suggested he "look in the mirror," claiming the B.C. Prosecution Service could have argued Hopley stay in custody following a recent violation of his release conditions.
All the while, in a media statement the Parole Board of Canada seemingly points to the Correctional Service of Canada.
So how exactly did Randall Hopley — a man under extensive supervision orders with a highly publicized criminal history — disappear during what was supposed to be a short trip from his halfway house to a thrift store?
Here's what we know.
Hopley has a history of assault and sexual assault, and committed three offences of a sexual nature against children in the past, according to court records and police.
Notably, he served six years in prison for abducting a three-year-old in the middle of the night from his home in Sparwood, B.C. — about a 20-kilometre drive northwest from the border with Alberta — in 2011. He returned the boy to his home four days later, after holding him in an abandoned cabin.
The 58-year-old was released under a Long-Term Supervision Order (LTSO) in November 2018, at which time Vancouver police issued a public warning that he still posed a risk of significant harm to young boys.
The Parole Board of Canada (PBC) told CBC News it does not decide whether an individual is put under an LTSO. Rather, it's imposed by the courts after an offender completes their sentence.
The board is responsible for determining the conditions of the supervision order, balancing what's considered reasonable to protect the community with the need to re-integrate the offender into society.
Meanwhile, Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) is responsible for establishing a sound release plan for the offender, and for supervising them in the community.
"Correctional Service of Canada would have given them a very thorough report in terms of his time in custody and what they felt like the risks were, and then the national parole board would put together a set of conditions and guidelines on how he should reside in the community safely," said Rob Dhanu, a former crown prosecutor and lawyer with Dhanu Dhaliwal Law Group.
Based on information from police, the parole board, and court documents, the conditions of Hopley's supervision orders included not being allowed to use a computer, not being allowed to be in the presence of children, ankle monitoring, and residing at a corrections-approved residential facility, or halfway house.
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