Dangerous offender deemed suspect in homicides denied prison release again

A Nova Scotia man who's been declared a dangerous offender and locked up indefinitely has been denied release from prison yet again.

Andrew Paul Johnson, 62, is being held in a prison in British Columbia after being convicted on charges including kidnapping, unlawful confinement and attempted kidnapping.

A panel of the Parole Board of Canada reviewed Johnson's case earlier this month, and determined he is still too high a risk to be allowed out on day or full parole.

However, the board also chided Correctional Services of Canada for failing to come up with a program tailored to meet Johnson's needs and prepare him for life outside of prison. Because of this perceived failing, the board has agreed to review his case again in just 10 months, giving CSC time to come up with a plan.

Johnson has indicated that if he were to be granted full parole, he wants to return to Nova Scotia to live with his family.

Not been interviewed

Authorities consider Johnson a suspect in a number of homicides in Nova Scotia involving missing and murdered women. However, his lawyer wrote to the board to say that Johnson has not been questioned, interviewed or charged in relation to any other offences.

Johnson was declared a dangerous offender after being convicted of kidnapping and confinement of a 20-year-old mentally disabled woman who police found locked in his car in a secluded part of Nanaimo, B.C., in 1997. The charges also relate to his attempts to pick up 12-year-old girls while posing as a police officer.

In a recent statement referenced by the parole board, one of hisvictims talkedabout her childhood independence being shattered. "She states she suffers from sleep difficulties and moderate symptoms of anxiety, fear, tension and stress," the board wrote.

"She struggles to trust new people and to feel safe in the world. The criteria for serious harm were met in your case."

Though he was never convicted, the parole board report said Johnson has a history of sexual violence against minors and a former partner, and masturbating in public. He has been convicted of thefts, forcible confinement and assaults.

While his ultimate goal is to return to Nova Scotia, Johnson would be prepared to serve a period of day parole in Vancouver, Okanagan, or Vancouver Island in British Columbia. However, the board noted he has not been accepted at a halfway house in any of those locations.