A murderer has been granted more escorted absences from prison to attend classes to deal with her anger management.
Faye Higgins, 51, pleaded guilty in 2011 to the murder of Orillia man Gord Evans.
In December, the Parole Board of Canada approved her request for further escorted temporary absences (ETA) so she can attend a weekly program called Integrating Mindfulness Practice and Community Thoughtfulness (IMPACT), which teaches emotions management for women in the criminal justice system.
Higgins is currently serving a life sentence (14 years) for second-degree murder in the Orillia man’s death.
In June 2010, Higgins was employed as a personal support worker. Her young son told her Evans, one of her clients, had sexually assaulted him while babysitting.
According to the parole board decision, Higgins went to Evans' Orillia home under a ruse of cutting his hair and confronted him. She tortured him for hours, culminating in strangling him and stabbing him multiple times.
When police questioned Higgins, she denied being involved in the crime, however she was arrested in October 2011 after confiding in undercover officers.
Higgins pleaded guilty, but has since indicated that some of the details on file came from theoretical conversations with the undercover officers about how to kill someone.
The judge called Higgins’ self-help measures “remarkably brutal,” and noted Higgins’ efforts to conceal her responsibility in the crime.
The Parole Board mentions that Higgins describes herself as Aboriginal, but was not raised in the culture.
“While your family did not attend residential schools, nor were they involved in the ’60s Scoop, here the board finds a link between your loss of cultural identity, your own experiences with physical and emotional violence, and your pattern of offending,” reads the decision.
The decision acknowledges that Higgins has successfully completed some self-help workshops during her time in prison, including a Women's Engagement Program in 2014 and three Aboriginal women offender programs.
She has also completed voluntary employability courses, as well as post-secondary education. The report says an anger management program was also suggested.
In September 2018, the board first approved a program of ETA for personal development for Higgins, to attend a healing drumming circle, modifying the decision in September 2019 to attend more frequently, to attend a powwow and for family contact so she could visit her elderly mother.
The report notes Higgins attended the powwow with no concerns, but has not yet visited her mother.
Her most recent psychological risk assessment identifies her as a low-risk offender.
“The board places significant weight on the clinician's assessment of your risk when deciding to approve your ETA. In order to address your risk, you successfully completed a number of correctional programs and remain engaged in your correctional plan,” reads the decision.
The board clarifies in its decision that Higgins’ stay at her correctional facility – the name of which has been redacted – hasn’t been without incident.
In August 2017, her comb and sunglasses tested positive for cocaine and in March 2018, Higgins was involved in a physical altercation with another offender.
“It is concerning to the board that you continue to have difficulty following the rules and expectations of the institution,” reads the decision, adding that staff have described Higgins’ behaviour as 'manipulative'.
“Given your difficulties with maintaining appropriate institutional behaviour, the board finds participation in an emotions management intervention desirable. This program will hopefully give you the tools necessary to improve your interactions with other offenders, elders, and your parole supervisor.”
