Red Scorpion gangster Jarrod Bacon is back behind bars after testing positive for cocaine in violation of the special conditions imposed on him by the Parole Board of Canada.
Bacon, who was convicted in 2012 of conspiracy to traffic 100 kg of cocaine, was given statutory release a year ago after serving two-thirds of his net nine-year, two-month sentence.
But he was arrested in December after failing a drug test and breaching his release conditions not to consume illicit substances.
On Friday, the Parole Board of Canada ruled that Bacon’s statutory release would be revoked because of the challenges of managing him in the community.
“The board cannot ignore your criminality, your risk of reoffending and the fact that your drug consumption is linked to your offence cycle,” parole board member Katia Bustros wrote.
“At this time, the board is unable to identify any additional supervision measure that could bring your risk of reoffending to an acceptable level.
“As a result, the board is of the view that the risk cannot be managed adequately in society and, therefore, revokes your statutory release as it is satisfied that you will be reoffending before the expiration of your sentence, [and] present an undue risk to society.”
Bustros noted Bacon’s long criminal history in B.C., saying he “maintained connections with inmates known to be affiliated with the Hells Angels.
“You also displayed a violent behaviour toward other inmates, not to mention a possible involvement in illicit activities. Throughout your incarceration, transfers to other regions were made necessary for safety and security purposes,” she said.
Bacon originally got statutory release with special conditions in February 2017, but it was suspended in July 2017 after a violent altercation outside a bar. However, Bacon appealed the revocation and the parole board appeal division ruled in his favour because he had accidentally been released too early and, therefore, “the board did not have the authority to make a decision” on suspending his earlier statutory release. On June 13 last year, he was again freed on statutory release with special conditions, which was suspended Dec. 19 following the failed drug test.
Bustros noted there were other suspicions that Bacon was using drugs after he missed an earlier urine test, claiming he had been “the victim of a hit-and-run.”
“Doubts were raised concerning the circumstances of the accident, as well as the credibility of the version offered by you, and your parole officer wondered if you might have faked that accident in order to avoid taking the urine test,” Bustros said.
Bacon eventually admitted to using cocaine twice, “blaming the relapse on a buildup of stressful situations that you were unable to manage properly,” the ruling said. He asked the parole board to send him to a detox centre instead of cancelling his statutory release, but the treatment centre refused him a spot.
Bacon, 36, was credited with taking some courses and doing volunteer work, but the parole ruling said he was “not always motivated to make a sincere commitment to introspection and criminological monitoring.”
Intelligence officers inside prison received information in February that Bacon had been using drugs while on statutory release and had come up with methods to hide his consumption. In April, he was believed to have been a leader of a jailhouse conflict involving two groups of inmates.
- Kim Bolan, Times Colonist
