A double fence that wraps around the William Head Institution minimum-security prison in Metchosin will be taken down and replaced with a shorter one, a move that’s a surprise for the municipality’s mayor.
Currently, the federal prison is surrounded by four-metre-high fences on three sides and water on one side. The double perimeter fence will be taken down early next year and replaced with a 1.25-metre-tall fence, said assistant warden Peter Forbes. The move brings the prison in line with other minimum-security institutions, he said.
Double fencing topped with razor wire is more typical of medium- or maximum-security prisons, he said. William Head transitioned from medium security to minimum security in 2003.
“The security requirements for a minimum-security institution is either no fence or a small fence, so that’s what’s happening,” Forbes said.
The institution is equipped with cameras and lights and is patrolled by correctional officers, he said.
Metchosin Mayor John Ranns said he learned of the plans when contacted by the Times Colonist. “Maybe I’m the last to know,” he said. “It’s a little concerning I haven’t heard about it.
“I can’t say whether it’s a good idea or a bad idea. We haven’t had any problems recently, but every once in a while someone gets out.”
Forbes acknowledged that escapes happen, but said the West Shore RCMP respond quickly when they are notified of an escape.
In September 2013, two inmates took advantage of the cover of darkness and low tide to walk along the jagged shore, wade into the water and swim almost 200 metres to a beach on the other side of the rocky outcropping.
Dean Allen Benton was arrested by West Shore RCMP the following morning. Brian Peter Patrick, a convicted murderer, was caught a day later.
That same month, a 61-year-old man with a history of jail breaks went missing and was found hiding on the 32-hectare grounds after two hours. The incident prompted the Correctional Service of Canada to review why Michiel Gordon Hollinger was sent to the minimum-security facility.
An inmate who escapes can be charged with escaping lawful custody and would be sent to a higher-security prison.
William Head has been dubbed “Club Fed” because of its idyllic oceanfront location and amenities such as a tennis court, small golf course and baseball diamond. Last year, federal Conservative public-safety critic Erin O’Toole said he was concerned about the “summer-camp-like conditions” afforded to offenders convicted of murder and other violent crimes.
An inmate who is transferred to William Head from a higher-security prison must meet the requirements of having a low risk of escape and posing a low risk to the public. The inmate must also be working on a plan to prepare for release.
“The risk here from the inmate population is a low risk to the community at large,” Forbes said.
Ranns said he supports the rehabilitation programs at William Head, which include volunteer partnerships with the Mustard Seed Street Church and career training.
“But it still needs to be recognized that these aren’t white-collar criminals — they’re murderers and stuff, but they’re coming to the end of their term.”
