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Quebec City Mosque Shooter Asks Court for Transfer to Medium-Security Prison
His lawyer says several assessments found he could be housed in medium security, while current conditions and isolation are worsening his fragile mental health.
Alexandre Bissonnette, serving a life sentence for the 2017 Quebec City mosque shooting, has requested a transfer from a maximum-security prison to a medium-security facility.
Lawyer Sylvie Bordelais filed the request at the Montreal courthouse in April, arguing that current imprisonment conditions amount to cruel and unusual punishment.
Correctional Service Canada states maximum-security prisons restrict 'movement, association and privileges,' though several assessments concluded Bissonnette could be housed in a medium-security facility instead.
According to court documents, Bissonnette's mental health is fragile and worsening due to his distance from family and fears of violent inmates at the Port-Cartier prison on Quebec's North Shore.
The Quebec Superior Court is reviewing the application, which notes that medium-security institutions offer 'moderately restricted' privileges and prepare inmates for transfer to minimum-security prisons.