A prison psychologist's 'love affair with an inmate'

The Correctional Service of Canada still won't say anything publicly about the embarrassing apparent tryst between one of its prison psychologists and a murderer, but police have put it in black and white. Investigators have spelled out in an eyebrow-raising court document - in language befitting a gossip magazine expose - exactly what they think Erin Danto, a psychologist at Frontenac Institution in Kingston, Ontario, was up to with escaped killer Andrew Wood.

Here's a snip from the 'information,' or charge sheet, the document police filed that outlines the charges against Danto:

...on or about the 18th day of June 2009 at Frontenac Institution in the City of Kingston in the said region, being an official Staff Psychologist did commit a Breach of Trust in connection with the duties of her office, by having a love affair with an inmate and assisting that inmate in his Escape from Lawful Custody

(yeah, I added the bold)

My eyes popped when I read it. I've never seen investigators refer to a "love affair" between an inmate and prison staffer in a document like this. The charge is written to suggest that the affair is grounds, in part, for the breach of trust charge, which seems a stretch, since inmate-staff liaisons are a regular occurrence in federal pens. Relationships between convicts and prison staff are strictly forbidden by Corrections, but they're not usually grounds for criminal charges. They're typically handled quietly, internally, with staff transfers, firings or resignations.

Corrections didn't have the chance to hush this one up, since Wood's escape June 13 touched off a mammoth search and public alert, complete with release of his mugshot. Corrections still tried to keep a lid on the embarrassment once Wood was caught with Danto, five days after he bolted, by refusing to acknowledge that Danto works for the federal prison service. Corrections has said only that a "staff member" is accused in the case.

The charge sheet also makes clear why Danto has been charged with obstructing police. Investigators claim she misled and lied to the officers who were probing Wood's escape.

Here's the document, from Danto's court file:



» Click here for all of Cancrime's coverage of the Wood-Danto saga
» Here's the latest on Danto's court case, in the Kingston Whig-Standard

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