Convicted murderer Jean James desperately wants to be able to enjoy private family visits with her husband and adult son.
But the Correctional Service of Canada says the 76-year-old killer is too high-risk to be eligible for the time alone in a house on the grounds of the Fraser Valley Institution.
The correctional service cites the potential for domestic violence and allegations that James once tampered with prison food and tried to 鈥渃ontract out the assault鈥� of other prisoners.
The elderly convict denies all the allegations against her and has asked the Federal Court for a review of the refusal to allow her private time with her mate of 40 years.
A hearing into James鈥檚 case is set for July 15.
The Richmond senior was convicted in November 2011 of first-degree murder for the 1992 slaying of her husband鈥檚 suspected lover.
James was caught in a 鈥淢r. Big鈥� sting in 2008, during which she admitted to an undercover cop posing as a crime boss that she slit the throat of Gladys Wakabayashi inside the victim鈥檚 91原创 home.
In the videotaped confession, James matter-of-factly described how she sliced Wakabayashi鈥檚 legs with a box cutter as she probed for information about the affair before slashing her across the neck. The cold-blooded killer said she felt no regret.
James subsequently lost a B.C. appeal of her conviction. And the Supreme Court of Canada denied her leave to appeal to the country鈥檚 highest court.
But she continues to deny her guilt in the murder of Wakabayashi, the daughter of a Taiwanese billionaire.
The correctional service said James鈥檚 refusal to accept responsibility for her crime was another factor against her request for the private visits.
Her husband and son think James is innocent and was tricked into confessing, which is 鈥渁n area of concern,鈥� a prison report filed in Federal Court says.
鈥淭he onus is on Mrs. James to take responsibility for her offending and address her contributing factors.鈥�
In her affidavit, James said one of her jail workers, Brendan Bannan, wrote in his report that she would benefit from private visits because 鈥渢hey would allow positive family contact that would bring purpose to Mrs. James鈥� life while potentially motivating her to address her contributing factors.鈥�
But Bannan ultimately recommended against the visits because of the allegations in James鈥檚 file.
He said she might also be at risk to escape because while at the institution 鈥淛ames also allegedly made enquiries about obtaining a false passport.鈥�
鈥淢s. James will be 94 and 97 when she reaches her day and full parole eligibility dates, respectively. In the writer鈥檚 opinion, this may increase Ms. James鈥檚 escape risk as she may have to spend the rest of her life in prison,鈥� Bannan said.
But he also said 鈥渢he likelihood of her successfully scaling the fence and evading perception鈥� was low.
James responded in her court documents: 鈥淚 have never planned or attempted to escape from FVI.鈥�
She appeared the most frustrated by comments about the potential for family violence.
鈥淚 have never been involved in violence toward by husband and/or my son,鈥� she wrote. 鈥淢y husband and son are the most important people in my life and I love them deeply and would never do anything to compromise their safety, let alone intentionally hurt either of them.鈥�
Her husband also told prison officials there had never been any violence in their relationship. And he claimed that a mutual family friend had 鈥減ointed a finger鈥� at his wife to divert attention from himself.
Derek James denied having 鈥渁 physical affair鈥� with Wakabayashi, though he admitted to 鈥渁n emotional affair.鈥�
But Bannan said the murder conviction is 鈥渙stensibly related to her husband鈥檚 marital infidelity with the victim.
鈥淭he murder was particularly cruel and heinous in its execution. For example, the victim sustained myriad wounds from a sharp-bladed instrument and was nearly decapitated in the fatal attack,鈥� he wrote. 鈥淭he damage inflicted on the victim far exceeded what was necessary to meet the goal of murdering the victim.鈥�
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