The Canadian correctional system has sparked widespread controversy after transferring notorious serial killer Dellen Millard from maximum to medium security, despite his violent history and multiple murder convictions.
From Maximum to Medium Security
Dellen Millard, the 40-year-old convicted of three first-degree murders, has been moved to a medium-security prison in Ontario according to recent reports. This transfer comes just two years after Millard assaulted another inmate at Millhaven Penitentiary, a facility reserved for Canada's most dangerous criminals.
Millard was convicted for the murders of Tim Bosma, Laura Babcock, and his own father, Wayne Millard. His accomplice, Mark Smich, was transferred to medium security two years earlier, raising questions about the consistency of Canada's penal system.
Families Express Outrage
Victims' families have reacted with anger and disbelief to the transfer. Clayton Babcock, father of murder victim Laura Babcock, expressed frustration with the justice system. "I'm not sure why we have maximum-security prisons if this scum doesn't meet the criteria to remain there indefinitely," Babcock told media.
The Bosma family released a statement questioning the logic behind the decision: "If a three-time convicted first-degree murderer is rewarded for 'good behaviour' in the Canadian penal system and moved to a lower security prison, who then is filling the maximum security prisons?"
Legal Changes Benefit Violent Offenders
Millard's case highlights significant changes in Canadian sentencing laws. Originally sentenced to 75 years for his three murders, the Supreme Court intervened to prevent sentence stacking, ruling consecutive sentences for multiple murders unconstitutional.
This legal shift means both Millard and Smich will be eligible to apply for day parole in 2036 and full parole in 2039. Correctional Service of Canada maintains this doesn't guarantee release, but victims' families remain skeptical.
Sources indicate Millard may next attempt to claim Indigenous identity to seek transfer to a healing lodge, a possibility that adds to families' concerns about the justice system's handling of dangerous offenders.
