McClintic transferred from healing lodge back to regular prison

The woman who is serving a life sentence for the killing of Woodstock, Ont. girl Tori Stafford has been moved from a healing lodge back to a medium security prison, Stafford’s father says.

Rodney Stafford says he received a phone call from Correctional Services Canada this morning to inform him that Terri Lynne McClintic was transferred to an Edmonton prison last night.

McClintic was transferred to a healing lodge in December, but Stafford was not informed about the move until August.

When he found out, Stafford vocally opposed the move, saying the justice system “needs an overhaul.” He even led a protest to Ottawa calling for change.

Yesterday, Public Safety Minister Ralph Goodale announced changes around prisoner transfers to healing lodges. Among other changes, the new rules mean that prisoners serving long sentences won’t be eligible for transfer to healing lodges until they are in the “preparation for release” phase of their sentences.

Goodale said the changes would apply to old and new cases.

“With the policies that came into effect yesterday, her file is under review,” Stafford said he was told.

The revelation that McClintic had been moved from a regular prison to the secluded healing lodge sparked widespread outrage and calls for changes to policies around prisoner transfers.

McClintic pleaded guilty in 2010 for her part in the abduction, sexual assault and murder of eight-year-old Victoria “Tori” Stafford in 2009. Her former boyfriend, Michael Rafferty, was convicted of kidnapping, sexual assault causing bodily harm and first-degree murder in the case back in 2012. He is also serving a life sentence.