Luka Magnotta and Paul Bernardo are among Canada's most infamous killers serving life sentences behind bars, so Canadians might be surprised to hear they're at a medium-security prison with a hockey rink on the property.
Conservative MP Frank Caputo recently called out conditions at the facility where the two killers are now, after touring Quebec's La Macaza Institution in recent months. And while his claims that they play "serial killer pickup hockey" are being challenged, there's no doubt that there are tougher facilities where they could be living in Canada.
So why are Bernardo and Magnotta at Quebec's La Macaza medium-security institution? And what is life actually like for the two convicted murderers?
Frank Caputo says he got to tour the prison and the B.C. MP noticed several features that "outraged" him. In a nearly seven-minute video posted online, Caputo shared why he believes "Canada’s most horrific murderers are living better than most Canadians" and how he came face-to-face with Bernardo during his visit.
Caputo, who says he's been in a lot of jails as a former parole officer, wanted to see for himself what medium-security was really like.
"The first thing you notice is how big of a property it is, it actually feels like a university campus," he says in the video.
After seeing what Bernardo's cell looked like, Caputo says he walked outside and got angry after coming across a hockey rink on the property.
"Inmates can go and they can get skates and they can play hockey. There are hockey nets and everything. If you want to play in the evening, there are halogen lights that look just like an outdoor basketball court at a community centre," Caputo said in his video.
The MP added that the well-lit hockey rink turns into a tennis court. He also notes that during his visit a guard told him Magnotta had walked by him at some point. This did not sit well with Caputo who envisioned Magnotta and Bernardo spending time together at the institution.
"So him [Magnotta] and Paul Bernardo could actually be playing one-on-one [tennis] in the summertime," Caputo said in the video.
Even though there is a hockey rink at La Macaza, authorities say it hasn't been used for some time.
Correctional Service Canada (CSC) confirmed to Narcity that the hockey rink is not a functioning one because "there has been no ice for the past two winters."
CSC added that there are opportunities for inmates "to participate in programs and activities" and these opportunities are "not unique to La Macaza, and can be found in other institutions."
"Ultimately, providing offenders with opportunities for recreational activities promotes safer institutions for those who live and work in our facilities, by having offenders' time occupied in a productive, controlled and healthy manner. This helps to keep those who live and work there safer," CSC also told Narcity.
Here's what you need to know about what conditions are like for Magnotta, Bernardo and others at La Macaza.
This article contains graphic content that might not be suitable for some readers.
What is La Macaza Institution?
La Macaza Institution in Quebec.
Correctional Service Canada | Facebook
La Macaza Institution is located in La Macaza, Quebec, in the Laurentians region about 190 kilometres northwest of Montréal, according to the Government of Canada website.
The stand-alone medium security facility opened in 1977 and has a capacity of 240 inmates.
The nearby town of La Macaza has a population of just over 1,100 people, according to Statistics Canada data.
The facility has seen many inmates transferred to it from maximum-security prisons as those inmates get closer to the end of their sentence. It's known in particular for housing sex offenders.
CSC told Narcity that all of La Macaza’s buildings are located inside a secure perimeter.
"Its facilities have the same perimeter controls as maximum-security institutions (high fences, armed control, correctional officers equipped with proper security equipment, etc.). These facilities are strictly guarded 24/7, inmate movement is controlled, and we have rigorous security protocols," a spokesperson said in an email.
CSC also noted that in Canada, the correctional system is "fundamentally based on the rehabilitation of offenders, even if some remain incarcerated for the rest of their lives."
"We are constantly balancing many factors, including public safety risks; safe, secure and humane treatment; and victim rights. In accordance with policy, CSC must review an inmate’s security classification at least every two years for medium and maximum-security inmates and we must place inmates in the corresponding institutions."
When were Luka Magnotta and Paul Bernardo transferred to La Macaza?
Paul Bernardo was convicted in 1995 of sexually assaulting and murdering two girls — 15-year-old Kristin French and 14-year-old Leslie Mahaffy — in Canada between 1990 and 1992. He was also convicted of manslaughter following the 1990 death of 15-year-old Tammy Homolka, his then-wife Karla Homolka's younger sister.
CBC News reports Bernardo also admitted to sexually assaulting 14 other women.
Bernardo served three decades of his life sentence at maximum-security prisons, including one in Millhaven, Ontario and Kingston Penitentiary. Then on May 29, 2023, the Canadian serial killer was transferred to Quebec's La Macaza Institution.
In 2023, the Correctional Service of Canada issued a statement saying Bernardo "continues to be incarcerated in a secure and controlled institution – with every precaution in place to maintain safety," as reported by City News.
In early March 2024, it was revealed that Canadian killer Luka Magnotta was also transferred from Port Cartier maximum-security prison in Quebec to La Macaza.
Magnotta was found guilty in 2014 of murdering 33-year-old student Jun Lin in Montreal in 2012.
A 2019 Netflix documentary Don't F**k With Cats: Hunting an Internet Killer details Magnotta's crimes and how they recorded a video of brutally killing and dismembering Lin. Magnotta later mailed parts of Lin's body to multiple political parties and schools in Canada.
Magnotta, now 41 years old, was granted a prison transfer in August 2022, according to a transfer warrant obtained by the Toronto Sun. Magnotta's husband, whom they married in 2017, was reportedly transferred to the same institution.
The Toronto Sun also reports that Magnotta now says they are transgender and has changed their first name to Violette.
Michael Rafferty, the man who killed Ontario girl Tori Stafford, was also moved to La Macaza in 2018.
What are the living conditions at La Macaza Institution?
Caputo described how La Macaza Institution feels like a "university campus" due to the size of the property and the number of buildings. He also highlighted the various amenities, including the rink.
"The cherry on top was seeing this beautiful gymnasium and next to that is a weight room, much nicer than I would say 95% of Canadians have access to," Caputo said.
"One of the worst criminals in Canadian history [Bernardo] is actually living better than most Canadians," the MP added.
Caputo's claims touched off a big debate with the Liberals in the House of Commons in early March.
In a 2023 interview with CTV News, a law expert outlined what a medium-security facility looks like compared to a maximum-security prison.
Shane Martinez, an adjunct professor of prison law at Osgoode Hall Law School, said medium security prisons allow inmates more "mobility and opportunity." They also can roam around, spend less time locked up and have more "programming and employment options."
in 2023, Jean Proulx of the Université de Montréal told City News that violent sex offenders are often moved to La Macaza to "begin more treatment as they near their eligibility for parole after spending about 20 years in maximum security."
The Quebec institution "specializes" in treatments for sex offenders, who make up about two-thirds of the inmates held there, Proulx says.
"There is anger management training, stress management training, social skill training, programming focusing on how to control, to reduce the interest for rape or sadistic behaviour," Proulx told City News at the time.
What are the similarities between maximum-security and medium-security institutions?
In its email to Narcity, Correctional Service Canada outlined the similarities between maximum-security and medium-security institutions.
Maximum-security institutions:
- Well-defined perimeter, high fences and armed controlled
- Strictly guarded 24/7
- Inmate movement is strictly monitored and controlled
- Inmate shows interest in their correctional plan
- Access to programs and interventions
- Access to visits and support systems (family and volunteer)
Medium-security institutions:
- Well-defined perimeter, high fences and armed controlled
- Strictly guarded 24/7
- Inmate movement is monitored and controlled
- Inmate participates and engages in their correctional plan
- Access to programs and interventions
- Access to visits and support systems (family and volunteer)
Correctional Service Canada published a virtual tour of a typical medium-security prison on its website in 2015.
This article's cover image was used for illustrative purposes only.
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