The news has left the families of the pair\u2019s victims \u2014 Hamilton man Tim Bosma and Toronto woman Laura Babcock \u2014 reeling and demanding answers as to why such a move would occur, given the severity of Millard and Smich\u2019s crimes and the amount of time left on their sentences.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Bosma\u2019s widow, Sharlene, and his parents, Hank and Mary, said in a joint statement to CBC News that they were disgusted to learn of Millard\u2019s move to medium security this fall, following Smich’s move years earlier.<\/p>\n
\u201cIf a three-time convicted 1st-degree murderer is rewarded for \u2018good behaviour\u2019 in the Canadian penal system and moved to a lower security prison, who then is filling the maximum security prisons? White collar criminals?\u201d the statement reads. \u201cDoes our government really see them as the largest threat to society’s safety?\u201d <\/strong><\/p>\n \u201cSuch a move by our \u2018justice\u2019 system is an abhorrent transgression, offending all manner of common sense.\u201d<\/p>\n Linda Babcock, Laura\u2019s mother, told CBC News in an interview that these moves have done nothing but reopen old wounds and disrupt her family\u2019s peace of mind.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe\u2019re right back to where we were at the start, honestly,\u201d she said. \u201cI would like to see people that have done these violent crimes serve their full time where they should be \u2014 in maximum security.\u201d<\/p>\n Pair convicted of multiple murders<\/p>\n Millard, a Toronto man, was convicted of first-degree murder in Bosma\u2019s death<\/a> in 2016, alongside Smich, from Oakville, Ont. The pair was similarly convicted of first-degree murder in Babcock\u2019s death<\/a> in 2017.\u00a0<\/p>\n Millard was also convicted of first-degree murder in the death of his father, Wayne<\/a>, in 2018, as well as found guilty of assault causing bodily harm in connection with a stabbing in prison<\/a> in 2023.<\/p>\n The Correctional Service of Canada (CSC) would not confirm the pair\u2019s move to medium security when contacted by CBC News, saying they are unable to disclose \u201cpersonal information\u201d about offenders except in circumstances where it is a matter of public safety.<\/p>\n \u201cOur thoughts remain with the victims and their families,\u201d said spokesperson Esther Mailhot, in a statement. \u201cWe know that each and every contact with them, especially regarding an offender\u2019s case can be unsettling.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cWe engage with victims at various points of an offender\u2019s sentence, based on a victim\u2019s chosen preferences, and provide them with opportunities to voice their concerns, which are considered in our decision-making.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n But both families in this instance say they feel like their concerns weren\u2019t heeded.<\/p>\n \u201cCorrections Canada disregarded the feedback provided by our families in response to the possibility of such a move, instead giving a condescending pat on the head to the victims\u2019 families, and carrying forward anyway,\u201d the statement from Bosma\u2019s loved ones reads.\u00a0<\/p>\n \u201cIf Corrections Canada [has] no intention of heeding the pleas of victims and their families, what then is the point of forcing them to revisit the trauma caused by the individual incarcerated? In our case, that individual is a psychopath monster.\u201d<\/p>\n Linda Babcock says she\u2019s asked federal officials for answers, but hasn\u2019t gotten any response. <\/p>\n \u201cWhat crime do you have to commit to serve your time in maximum security?\u201d she said. <\/p>\n Toronto criminal defence lawyer Ryan Handlarski told CBC Radio’s Metro Morning Friday that a move to a medium-security prison can be a good incentive for inmates \u2014 but he also noted that it doesn’t seem like Millard was in maximum security “particularly long” before he was moved.<\/p>\n \u201cIf you\u2019re involved in a stabbing you\u2019re not a model inmate, and you shouldn\u2019t be rewarded by being moved to a facility with more privileges,” he said. “So for me it\u2019s really hard to understand, and I have to say, I agree with the families.\u201d<\/p>\n Public safety is ‘paramount consideration,’ CSC says<\/p>\n![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763744536_8_default.jpg\")
Linda Babcock, left, stands next to her husband Clayton outside court in Toronto after Dellen Millard and Mark Smich were found guilty of first-degree murder in the death of their daughter, Laura. (Chris Young\/The Canadian Press)<\/p>\n
![\"A](\"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/1763744538_598_default.jpg\")
Sharlene Bosma, with her family and that of her late husband Tim Bosma, makes a statement along with Tim’s parents, Mary, left, and Hank. (Peter Power\/The Canadian Press)<\/p>\n