Manitoba Premier Kinew asks PM Carney for sentencing, parole overhaul

 Manitoba Premier Wab Kinew has asked the prime minister for stiffer sentences for repeat or serial killers, citing the recent release of one killer that Kinew says “disgusts” him.

In a letter to Prime Minister Mark Carney, Kinew said he also wants changes to the parole system in the wake of the release of Shawn Lamb, who pleaded guilty to manslaughter in the 2012 deaths of two Indigenous women, Carolyn Sinclair and Lorna Blacksmith, and was sentenced to 20 years the following year.

Lamb was released earlier this month under statutory release, a provision under federal law that sees most inmates automatically let out after serving two-thirds of their sentence.Kinew said the release “is not justice.”

“The release of Mr. Lamb disgusts many Canadians, myself included, because it seems to suggest our society places more concern on the well-being of a serial killer than on their victims such as Ms. Sinclair and Ms. Blacksmith,” Kinew wrote in the letter dated Nov. 17 and released Tuesday.

“I ask you, Mr. Prime Minister, what is the benefit to society of releasing a serial killer into the general population?”

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Kinew’s two-page letter includes a call for stronger sentences under the Criminal Code for serial killers. It also asks for a review of the composition of the parole board so that it reflects diverse perspectives, and some sort of oversight for parole board decisions involving serious violent offences.

“Independent or specialized review mechanisms should be considered to ensure justice is delivered and the highest standard of public safety is achieved,” Kinew wrote.

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The premier told reporters Tuesday he had not received a reply from the prime minister

.A grassroots organization that advocates for missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls called on the federal government earlier this month to allow for consecutive sentencing in cases of multiple homicides.

Giganawenimaanaanig, which translates to “we all take care of them,” said news of Lamb’s release highlights a “devastating gap in Canada’s justice system.”

Court heard Lamb killed both women at different times. He told police he hit 25-year-old Sinclair over the head with an axe handle then strangled her. He also strangled 18-year-old Blacksmith. He wrapped both bodies in plastic and dumped them in back alleys.

Lamb was initially arrested in the death of a third woman, Tanya Nepinak, but the Crown stayed the charge due to a lack of evidence. Lamb has denied any involvement in her death.