A man serving a federal sentence for wielding a needle filled with his own blood in an attempt to steal an SUV from a Prince George car wash will remain on day parole.
In a February 22, decision, a Parole Board of Canada panel also granted Joseph Donald West, 36, overnight leave privileges, subject to approval by his parole supervisors.
West also remains subject to a half dozen special conditions, essentially prohibiting him from consuming drugs or alcohol and requiring him to follow a treatment program for substance abuse and follow the directions of his mental health team.
West was sentenced in December 2015 to a further six years and five months in prison for the May 2015 incident, and it's the third federal sentence West has served for crimes dating back to June 2014 when he mugged a man for his wallet near the corner of Victoria Street and Diefenbaker Drive.
West committed the crime while still on parole after completing two-thirds of a four-year sentence for the November 2010 armed robbery of the Denny's restaurant on Central Street East, in which two masked men threatened staff with a machete and a kitchen knife.
West was first granted day parole in August 2017 and has been living in a halfway house in the Lower Mainland.
Overall, it has been positive, according to the panel's decision. No issues have been reported, he has lived by the expectations of his supervisors and appears to be progressing in terms of rehabilitation.
His criminal history remains a concern and his supports are fragile. But while he has struggled, West has remained sober and has asked for help.
"You have demonstrated a capacity to avoid situations and people who are risky," the panel noted.
Day parole will also continue for another man serving federal time for a crime committed in Prince George. In February 2017, Ryan Knowles, 26, was sentenced to three years for driving through the VLA with a stolen and loaded handgun strapped across his chest in January 2015.
He was first granted day parole in August 2017 and has continued to maintain a high level of motivation and is considered engaged in his correctional plan.
