Anywhere but Baffin Correctional Centre, lawyer asks

In an Iqaluit courtroom yesterday, defence lawyer David Berg asked the judge if his client could serve his sentence anywhere exceptthe Baffin Correctional Centre.

Last week, a reportfrom the Federal Office of the Correctional Investigator said conditions at the jail were appalling and it should be shut down.

• Baffin Correctional Centre 'appalling' and should be closed, report says

Berg later got specific, asking the judge if his client could serve his sentence at the Rankin Inlet Healing Facilityinstead of the Baffin Correctional Centre.

Berg told the court Moses Meeko would not get the programs he needs to address his jealousy and anger issues at BCC.

Meeko, 31, of Sanikiluaq, pleaded guilty yesterday to assaulting a woman in his community in March and to several breaches of his probation.

He was sentenced to almost 11 months in jail, plus two years probation.

At the time of the assault, Meeko was on a probation order to stay away from the woman.

The latest offence came just five days after he was released from the Iqaluit jail, where he was serving time for a previous assault against the same person.

Justice Rene Foisy saidhe does not have the power to choose where a person serves their sentence.That is done byCorrections, which in this case would bethe corrections division of the Nunavut governments Department of Justice.

But Foisy did agree to recommend Meeko serve his time at the Rankin facility.

He also imposed the mandatory victim surcharge of $400.

Meeko has one year to pay the fine after being released.

It's not the first time a lawyer in the territory hasrequested their client not serve time in the BCC.