The newly-appointed superintendent of prisons in Newfoundland and Labrador is coming out of retirement after stepping away from Her Majesty's Penitentiary operations a few years ago.
Don Roche spent 30 years in adult corrections, starting in 1982. He spent the majority of his career at HMP, serving as duty captain and training captain. Roche was appointed assistant superintendent of operations at HMP in 2008, and retired in 2013.
Don Roche seen here before retiring as assistant superintendent of prisons. ((Paul Daly/The Canadian Press))
"We are very fortunate to have Don Roche return to adult corrections," reads a statement Thursday from Justice Minister Andrew Parsons.
"His previous leadership experience within our prison system is extremely valuable as we move forward in our efforts to strengthen the justice system in Newfoundland and Labrador."
Roche is trained in both suicide intervention and use of force, Parsons said, and will move into the superintendent job on Feb. 1.
He replaces Owen Brophy, who recently retired after working in corrections for 35 years.
Owen Brophy retired from the position after a 35-year career in corrections. (Ariana Kelland/CBC)
Brophy faced several pressure points during his career. He was named in a Charter application by two defence lawyers in 2014 that claimed he and other prison officials knew an attack was planned on inmate Kenny Green inside HMP, but failed to stop it from happening. The application was dismissed.
In 2015, Brophy faced calls to resign amid demonstrations by correctional officers outside HMP. At the time, government stood behind him and said he was "eminently qualified for this current role."
Led segregation policy changes
Last year, Brophy led a committee that announced changes to the segregation policy at HMP.
Maximum segregation time was reduced from 15 days to 10 and inmates now also have visitation privileges, as well as access to programs and services.
"When a person goes into segregation ... after so many days they just shut down. Segregation, for the most part, I truly believe does not work, and we have to come up with alternatives," Brophy told reporters Oct. 4.
A protester stands outside HMP in St. John's in 2015. (Zach Goudie/CBC)
Brophy also acknowledged last May that fentanyl inside HMP was a challenge prison staff were trying to tackle, following an overdose.
He announced all correctional officers and nurses working at the penitentiary would be trained in using naloxone.
