Goldring blames oppostion for offender’s release

September 21, 2009

Convicted cop killer Albert Foulston will be released from prison on statutory release despite being considered a high risk to re-offend because opposition parties have delayed the Conservative Government’s justice system reforms, Edmonton East Member of Parliament Peter Goldring says.

“The current system that we inherited from the previous government does not allow Members of Parliament or the Minister of Public Safety to intervene or impose further restrictions on the offender's release into the community.  The practice of statutory release allows for hardened criminals to be returned to our communities without serving their full sentence.

“For a hardened criminal who shows no remorse, for someone who is considered a high risk to re-offend, a 20 year sentence should mean 20 years. And for someone with Mr. Foulston’s record, with more than 50 convictions, serious consideration should be given to declaring him a dangerous offender and keeping him in prison until he is no longer a danger to society.”

Mr. Goldring notes he has been receiving regular updates on Mr. Foulston during his incarceration. “In 2004 he applied for parole and was turned down. It doesn’t seem to me that anything has changed, except now the system has to turn him loose, and that just isn’t right.”

The Conservative Government is committed to end statutory release, to increase victims’ rights and to increase the responsibility of offenders to earn their parole.

Mr. Foulston has been described by parole board documents as "a high-risk, high-needs offender" with "anti-social values" and "resentment towards persons in authority." Further, the "overall benefit of [Mr. Foulston’s] lengthy incarceration has been minimal. A number of prior release attempts have resulted in failure, both in the form of relapse, and with serious re-offending."

Looking at those comments, Mr. Goldring asks what benefit to society comes from Mr. Foulston’s release. "Where is the remorse for his crimes, where is the rehabilitation? Who is interested in protecting the safety of our families and communities?  Offenders should have to earn parole, and not be released before fulfilling their full debt to society."

Mr. Goldring is calling on all parties to support the immediate passing of Bill C-43, recently introduced by the Minister of Public Safety, Hon. Peter Van Loan.  The bill proposes a new approach to the federal corrections and conditional release systems to make "the protection of society" the focus of the federal corrections and conditional release systems for the first time. It will enshrine, in law, the right of victims to participate in parole board hearings, ensure victims are kept better informed about the transfer of offenders and their conduct while in custody, and emphasize the importance of considering the seriousness of offenders' crimes in parole board decisions.