The City of Vernon continues to demand that plans for a halfway house be 
placed on hold. Council members told Correctional Services Canada Monday that any moves to open a facility for parolees should be delayed until all information in the death of Bill Abramenko is available. If we don’t get a complete report on how parolees are hosted here, it’s just premature,” said Coun. Patrick Nicol. That was also the view from Coun. Juliette Cunningham. “I believe in the concept of halfway houses and I believe they play a role. But when we as a community still have unanswered questions, it’s tough to sell,” she said. Seventy-five-year-old Abramenko 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. As a result of Abramenko’s death, that facility was closed. Cunningham believes that proceeding with a halfway house until all details are known “would be so disrespectful to their (Abramenko family) situation.”
placed on hold. Council members told Correctional Services Canada Monday that any moves to open a facility for parolees should be delayed until all information in the death of Bill Abramenko is available. If we don’t get a complete report on how parolees are hosted here, it’s just premature,” said Coun. Patrick Nicol. That was also the view from Coun. Juliette Cunningham. “I believe in the concept of halfway houses and I believe they play a role. But when we as a community still have unanswered questions, it’s tough to sell,” she said. Seventy-five-year-old Abramenko 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. As a result of Abramenko’s death, that facility was closed. Cunningham believes that proceeding with a halfway house until all details are known “would be so disrespectful to their (Abramenko family) situation.” Because of the upcoming trial in the Abramenko case, Correctional Services Canada is considering what information, if any, can be released to council at this time. “None of the reports can be shared in their entirety until the trial is concluded,” said Brian Lang, district director of community corrections. Lang also tried to clarify the current process. “There are no guarantees of a halfway house here,” he said. “We’re not talking about a halfway house, we’re talking about a consultation process (with the public). We would not support a halfway house if there was strong opposition to it.” Lang added that waiting to reopen a halfway house until after the trial was never part of the process agreed to by the city after the original facility closed.
Corrections officials aren’t sure how the city’s request to delay plans will be handled. “We will consider that but we are anxious to move forward,” said Lisa Bayne, community engagement co-ordinator. Bayne points out that there are parolees in Vernon now and a halfway house would prove beneficial. “Do you want them in a structured environment or living beside you without you knowing?” she said. The RCMP see merit to a new halfway house opening. “There's obviously a need for it. We have 30 or 40 parolees in the city right now. This sort of facility is needed for them,” said Cpl. Henry Proce
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