Killer to be moved to penitentiary

Skylar Prockner, 19, needs intensive program found in federal system: judge

Skylar Prockner scanned his knees for a moment but otherwise maintained his usual stony countenance as he learned he was to be transferred immediately to the federal prison system.

In July, the 19-year-old was given an adult life sentence for the first-degree murder of his former girlfriend, 16-year-old Hannah Leflar — a decision he is now seeking to appeal.

This week, he returned to court, arguing through his lawyer James Struthers, why he should be allowed to remain at the Paul Dojack Youth Centre until his 20th birthday in eight months.

But, after listening to arguments from Crown and defence counsel and taking 45 minutes to gather her thoughts, Queen’s Bench Justice Jennifer Pritchard decided the right place for Prockner at this time is a federal penitentiary.

“The preponderance of the evidence at the sentencing hearing was that his personal issues are complex and will require significant and lengthy intervention if meaningful changes to Mr. Prockner’s anti-social thinking and inappropriate emotional responses are to be achieved,” she said.

“These are minimum prerequisites to (his) being granted parole after 10 years. In the end, and based largely on the contents of the placement hearing report, I conclude that the most appropriate placement for Mr. Prockner at this time is an immediate transfer to the federal penitentiary.”

While earlier this week, those appearing in court on the matter believed it was presumptive by law that youths sentenced as adults serve their time in an adult facility — barring a successful application by the offender — Struthers noted on Friday that section was repealed in 2012, meaning Crown and defence were starting on even ground.

Struthers had urged the court to allow his client to remain in the youth system, arguing Prockner is doing better there and has a number of programs that could be made available to him.

Struthers also pointed to the safety aspect, telling the court his client is safer at Dojack than he would be in a federal prison, and that other prisoners at the youth facility wouldn’t be at risk if he stayed. Skylar Prockner

But Crown prosecutor Chris White argued on Friday that speculation about Prockner’s future safety in an adult facility should not be the deal-breaker.

White also pointed out youth custody facilities, with their slate of programs and services, are geared toward youths, not “20-year-old men convicted of cold-blooded murder.”

White added that keeping Prockner another eight months in a youth setting would only be “delaying the inevitable” — a statement with which Pritchard seemed to agree.

“It is speculative that an additional eight months in Dojack will make Skylar’s transition to the penitentiary any easier,” the judge said.

“In that eight months, it may even be more disruptive to any meaningful programming if he is unable to focus on anything but the inevitable upcoming transfer.”

Pritchard found programs that could be available to him at Dojack, should he be allowed to remain there, might not be as helpful given the short period of time he would have to take them.

She further noted a report completed for the hearing recommended the transfer.

Prockner was 16 when he plotted and carried out Leflar’s murder, stabbing her to death after school on Jan. 12, 2015.

A sentencing hearing is slated for the fall for a second youth said to have aided in the killing.