Durham Regional Police are looking to reassure concerned Oshawa, Ont., residents after a convicted murderer was released into the community on a three-day pass as part of his parole process.
In a news release Monday, Durham police notified the public that 65-year-old Darren Scott Ray was being released into Oshawa on a 72-hour Unescorted Temporary Absence Permit (UTA).
Ray was convicted back in 1987 in the rape and murder of 14-year-old Darren Pepin. The then-26-year-old received an automatic sentence of life in prison with no chance of parole for 25 years. The Toronto Star reported at the time that court heard Ray tortured and raped Pepin before killing him and throwing the Scarborough high school student’s body away in the garbage room of his highrise building.
“We have officers in place that will ensure that this person, or persons under the dangerous offender title, that are released back into the community are being checked and monitored for their conditions, and those are very stringent conditions,” Const. Nicholas Gluckstein told CTV News Toronto Tuesday.
However, Gluckstein acknowledged that people are concerned and said police share those concerns as well.
“This is an alarming thing. It’s not just alarming for the community, it’s alarming for the police service, and you know, our members, our officers as well, to see somebody that’s a dangerous offender released back into the community,” he said.
Now, nearly 40 years after his conviction, Ray is being granted temporary unescorted absences from prison as part of his parole process.
Glucktein said the decision to grant the temporary passes is made by the parole board, under the direction of the Correctional Service of Canada.
“That parole board makes that determination that a dangerous offender meets their eligibility to be released under a day pass for 72 hours,” he said. “And what that means is they have permission to go out, unescorted, unsupervised, into the community, to reintegrate with the community, and it’s to see how they can reintegrate with the community.”
At the end of the 72 hours, Ray will be required to immediately report to a correctional facility. The parole board will then assess whether he is eligible for further temporary releases going forward.
“This process will continue down the line until either they’re deemed to be a low risk or they are required to remain indefinitely inside a facility,” Gluckstein said.
He said although Ray is on an unescorted pass, police will be monitoring him “constantly.”
Some of the conditions of his pass include remaining within Durham Region, not consuming alcohol, and not being in the presence of anyone under the age of 18 unless accompanied by a “responsible adult” who is aware of his criminal history and has been previously approved in writing by the parole supervisor.
Still, Gluckstein said if any members of the community see Ray engaging in any sort of suspicious activity or violation of his parole, they should call 911 immediately to report it.
Members of the community who spoke with CTV News Toronto Tuesday expressed concern that Ray is being allowed out on an unescorted pass and questioned why he is not being accompanied.
Lawyer says changes needed in parole system
Members of the community who spoke with CTV News Toronto Tuesday expressed concern that Ray is being allowed out on an unescorted pass and questioned why he is not being accompanied.
Tim Danson, a lawyer and advocate for victims’ rights, told CP24 there needs to be more transparency with the public in the federal corrections and parole systems.
“It’s deeply disturbing,” Danson said of Ray’s release.
He said when it comes to parole, the correctional system has an overarching policy of leniency toward offenders that does not distinguish between those with fixed sentences and those who have been sentenced to life for more serious crimes.
He said 95 per cent of federal offenders go through a process of rehabilitation and managing risk for release in roughly the final third of their sentences.
“That makes sense for 95 per cent of federal offenders. It makes no sense for people who commit murder, and many of whom are psychopaths,” Danson said.
There is also a much greater need for transparency, he said.
“Under the law, the parole board doesn’t even have to make public its reasoning and that needs to be changed,” Danson said. “And we should also be having access to transcripts of the parole hearings so the public can evaluate for themselves whether the system is working.”
The public should also have more access to dangerous offenders’ psychological profiles, their requests for parole, and records from previous parole hearings, he said.
“If you’re asking to be relieved of the consequences of your life sentence and you’re asking to be reintegrated back into society, society has a right to know what is the basis for that decision and what’s the medical information with respect to that.”
