By RICHARD ROLKE Morning Star Staff Jul 25 2007 http://www.vernonmorningstar.com/
The future of a halfway house remains uncertain now that the city is unwilling to consider the matter further. Vernon council decided Monday that it will not entertain any further discussions on a proposed facility for parolees until the trial into Bill Abramenko’s murder is completed and reports into the death are released. “Enough is enough until the trial is over and the information is at hand,” said Coun. Barry Beardsell. Abramenko, 75, died in 2004 in his South Vernon home. The individual who has been charged with the death was missing from a halfway house at the time of the incident.
Both Correction Services Canada and the RCMP have refused to release internal reports into the Abramenko case to protect the integrity of the trial, which begins in January. But council states that it can’t consider the opening of a new halfway house until it fully knows what happened in the Abramenko case and that safety concerns have been addressed. “It’s important for the community to get closure and some answers,” said Coun. Pat Cochrane. Beardsell expects council’s actions could delay a decision on a halfway house for two years as legal proceedings unfold. And he is urging Correction Services Canada not to proceed during that period. “They’d be foolish not to have the support of the city,” said Beardsell.
Correction Services Canada was not aware of council’s actions until it was contacted by The Morning Star. “As of this moment, CSC has not been notified of any decisions made by city hall with respect to a community residential facility in Vernon,” said Lisa Bayne, manager of correctional programs. “We are confident that the city will notify us this week of any developments that occurred during their regular meeting Monday.” CSC has asked city hall for a meeting to discuss the matter further. “We hope that when city hall accepts that meeting, we can come to an agreement about our collective next steps,” said Bayne.
No comments:
Post a Comment