A 72-year-old male inmate was mistakenly released from custody by Sheriff Services at about 1 p.m. Tuesday, June 18, following an appearance at the Pictou Provincial Court.
The inmate was supposed to be returned to the facility on an existing remand warrant related to sexual assault charges.
The incident is under investigation by the Department of Justice, according to a release from the province.
Pictou West MLA Karla MacFarlane issued a statement shortly after wondering why Pictou County residents were not notified that an inmate had been mistakenly released until a day after he was back in custody.
“For me, this is a matter of public safety,” MacFarlane said. “The government should tell people when someone who should be in custody is released mistakenly or escapes - especially someone facing sexual assault charges.”
“The time to issue a release was Tuesday afternoon, not 24 hours after the person is back in jail.”