A former correctional officer at Bowden Institution has been charged after an investigation into allegations she breached her duties by entering into a romantic relationship with an inmate and smuggling contraband into the facility.
In July 2025, Correctional Service Canada notified Innisfail RCMP about concerns involving one of their officers. Investigators determined the officer had developed an intimate relationship with a serving inmate and had been bringing contraband into the institution for him to sell at inflated prices. The items identified included nicotine patches and a cellphone. Banking records reviewed by police showed the officer received thousands of dollars in return for the smuggling activity.
The officer resigned immediately after learning she was under investigation. On April 15, 2026, RCMP arrested the former employee, identified as Jennifer Plante, 46, of Olds, Alta. She is charged with breach of trust by a public official.
Plante appeared before a Justice of the Peace and was released with a scheduled court appearance at the Alberta Court of Justice in Red Deer on May 1, 2026.
Innisfail RCMP thanked Correctional Service Canada for promptly identifying the compromised employee and assisting throughout the investigation.
