NORTH BATTLEFORD – The warden at Saskatchewan Penitentiary in Prince Albert wants Westside Outlaws street gang member Jonathan Swiftwolfe moved to an Alberta prison.
Senior Crown Prosecutor Jennifer Schmidt told North Battleford Provincial Court today that the warden contacted her asking for the court’s help moving Swiftwolfe to Drumheller Institution in Alberta.
“He is a Westside Outlaw and incompatible with nearly everyone at (the penitentiary),” said Schmidt.
Schmidt told the court that the warden is concerned about keeping Swiftwolfe in segregation.
Judge Lorna Dyck said she would make a note of the request.
Saskatchewan Penitentiary’s C-Range houses members of the Terror Squad gang and its associates. Indian Posse is another long-standing street gang.
In 2019 there was a violent shift in the relationship between Westside Outlaws and Indian Posse at Saskatchewan’s provincial jails, according to the Sask. Ministry of Justice.
In January 2021 the union representing Saskatchewan correctional officers said two of its members were injured during a disturbance at the Prince Albert Provincial Correctional Centre. The incident lasted five hours and involved more than a dozen prisoners. The unit involved in the disruption primarily houses gang-affiliated individuals on remand, the Ministry of Corrections said in a statement.
Swiftwolfe, 27, has been serving a four-year sentence at Saskatchewan Penitentiary, a federal institution in Prince Albert since June for weapons and assault charges.
One month later, Swiftwolfe was arrested at the prison and charged with first-degree murder. This means that Swiftwolfe is in dual remand, provincially and federally.
“He is a serving prisoner while on remand,” said Schmidt.
Swiftwolfe and Fox facing murder charges
Swiftwolfe, and his co-accused 24-year-old Cassandra Fox, are charged with first-degree murder in Bradley John Ham’s death.
Fifty-four-year-old Ham’s body was found near a grid road about 30 kilometres southeast of Glaslyn on Nov. 27, 2020.
Fox was arrested at Pine Grove Correctional Centre for Women where she was for an incident stemming from December 2020 involving a police pursuit of Swiftwolfe and Fox that reached speeds of up to 190 km/hour.
In December 2020, while searching for Swiftwolfe, North Battleford RCMP had issued a public safety warning saying Swiftwolfe was armed and dangerous.
Police located Swiftwolfe in the North Battleford area and attempted to stop him but he fled from police. Police say that due to Swiftwolfe’s violent nature they continued the pursuit.
Officers from the RCMP Crime Reduction Team, which specializes in gang activity, helped arrest Swiftwolfe east of Sweetgrass First Nation. When they arrested Swiftwolfe they found a loaded, modified .22-calibre rifle directly behind his seat within reach. Cassandra Fox was with Swiftwolfe and also arrested. She was wanted at the time on warrants for assault with a weapon and failure to comply with a release order.
Both Swiftwolfe and Fox had an appearance scheduled in North Battleford Provincial Court Oct. 1 and their attendance was waived.
Besides the murder charges, the two are facing 11 additional charges out of Swift Current including theft of a vehicle, theft, possession of stolen property, firearms offences, and breach of court orders. Schmidt told the court the Crown was proceeding by way of indictment, adding that the charges out of Swift Current are interconnected with the murder charges.
Judge Dyck said the Swift Current charges need to be heard in North Battleford Provincial Court along with the murder charge.
The charges against Swiftwolfe and Fox haven’t been proven in court.
They appear next in North Battleford Provincial Court Oct. 15.
