After escape, Selkirk Mental Health Centre changes escort policy

The Selkirk Mental Health Centre has changed its policy regarding the escort of psychiatric patients considered dangerous, in response to the escape of one of its patients last week.

Ken Nattrass, the centre's chief executive officer, confirmed Tuesday thatit now has the authority to ask provincial sheriff's officers to escort such psychiatric patients, in handcuffs, to medical and other appointments outside the facility, if it's determined the patient poses a risk to public safety.

Earl Joey Wiebe, 23, had been residing at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre after being found not criminally responsible for killing his stepmother, Candis Moizer,in 2000.

Wiebe continues to elude Winnipeg police, who describe him as violent, dangerous and at risk of offending again.

On Monday, police asked the public to call 911 immediatelyif they seeWiebe orhave any information abouthis whereabouts.

He escaped from medical escorts Sept. 27 while at an appointment in the Health Sciences Centre in Winnipeg. At the time, Wiebe was not wearing handcuffs or restraints.

By law, matters such as escorting patients like Wiebe are governedby the federal Criminal Code Review Board. The mental health centre's new policy means that staff can obtain permission from the federal board to use sheriff's officers if a patient's behaviour warrants it.

Only for select cases

Nattrass said Tuesday that the new policy would not necessarily have led to a different result in Wiebe's case, as it will still be up to centre staff to decide whether more security is warranted for patients like Wiebe.

"I guess that would have been determined by the members of the treatment team at the time. They may or may not have made that request," Nattrass said, adding that the revised policy will only apply in select cases.

"I certainly don't envision this as representing a wholesale change in the manner in which we have escorted patients off-site for medical appointments and other kinds of appointments," he said.

"It'll be based on a case-by-case basis on our assessment of the risk level associated with a particular patient."

Union pleased

The head of the union that represents most workers at the Selkirk Mental Health Centre including those who escort dangerous prisoners outside the facility said Tuesday he was pleased with this latest development.

"We salute them for moving quickly, because we needed to do that in order to protect the health and safety of both the staff and the general public," said Peter Olfert, president of the Manitoba Government and General Employees Union.

Still, Olfert said his union has yet to review the centre's policy.

"On the one hand, the centre can ask for sheriff's officers to do the escorts. But on the other side, they have to get permission from the review board on an individual case basis," he said.

"So, we need to see the new policy, so that we can flag any concerns that we may have with the new system."