Dorothy Westerman
Northern News Services

Yellowknife (Jan 13/06) - A 24-year old woman who smuggled marijuana to a prisoner in the North Slave Correctional Centre narrowly missed a prison term.

Citing Barbara Boline's remorse, lack of a criminal record, guilty plea and her age, Territorial Court Judge Brian Bruser gave the Wekweti woman to a four-month conditional sentence and 80 hours of community service.

"I am guided by counsel to be lenient," Bruser said.

Bruser admonished the woman and said "the last thing they need is a correctional centre full of high people."

Boline was charged with trafficking marijuana after a visit last June to an inmate at the North Slave Correctional Centre.

Crown counsel John MacFarlane said she was seen passing something to the prisoner under the meeting table.

A search revealed six grams of marijuana hidden in his underwear.

Bruser expressed concern about how Boline, who lives with her mother, would be monitored during her sentence, which included two-months of house arrest followed by a 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. curfew.

"You must ensure you are close to the phone and you answer it," Bruser said.

Boline will be allowed to leave the home for medical reasons, community service work or counselling.