A small unit within the Ministry of Corrections will be focused on gathering intelligence on Saskatchewan’s most violent offenders who are at large, ensuring they can’t access social assistance.
The six member Warrant Intelligence Team officially began operations on Nov. 1.
“The main focus is for them to get intelligence information on our most prolific violent offenders that are out in the community. That have lapsed bail, that haven’t checked in with their parole officers,” Minister of Corrections Paul Merriman told reporters on Monday.
The team will have the ability to gather information on the whereabouts of the province’s most violent offenders and bring the intelligence directly to police.
“Police are extremely busy doing day-to-day policing,” Merriman said. “We’ll make sure that we provide that information to the police so they can bring them back into custody.”
According to the province, The Warrant Compliance Act gives the team the authority to recommend the suspension of benefits such as the Saskatchewan Income Support and Saskatchewan Housing Benefit.
“What we also want to protect against is making sure there aren’t individuals that are collecting either social assistance or some type of assistance from government while they are in breach of their conditions,” Merriman said.
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The unit will work as a conduit between police and social services.
“Social services might not know that [an] individual is out on a warrant or is in breach of their conditions – they would not have that information,” Merriman explained.
“So that’s what this team will do – gather information, provide it to social services and then they will decide what they’re going to do with that specific individual.”
However, the program will work on a case-by-case basis to ensure the families of wanted individuals don’t suffer due to the lack of benefits.
"Our ministry will do this work so that families of the offender continue to have their financial needs met as they plan for a safer future," Social Services Minister Gene Makowsky said in a news release.
Merriman said the mass stabbings on James Smith Cree Nation in 2022 directly led to the formation of the team.
“That was certainly the catalyst but we’ve had complaints of individuals that have been on social assistance that are in breach of their parole,” Merriman explained.
“As taxpayers, people shouldn’t be paying for somebody to be in breach of their parole.”
For now, the team will be focused exclusively on Saskatchewan’s most violent offenders with room to expand if warranted.
“If we can bring all those individuals in then we can look at expanding its mandate,” Merriman said.
“But right now we’re just focused on the most violent individuals.”
The Warrant Intelligence Team is separate from the province’s Warrant Enforcement and Suppression Teams as well as the Saskatchewan Marshal’s Service – which is set to be operational by 2026.
“When the Marshals are stood up and when they’re active – this group would feed information into the Marshal’s service as well,” Merriman said.
