Dating inmates online

Millions of people use online dating websites every year to try to find love. But one dating web site we found has victims advocates and psychologists outraged. It’s called “Canadian Inmates Connect” — and it features, violent criminals — including convicted murderers — looking for love.

His online dating profile says I’m a 32-year old tall, fit single white male seeking exciting, adventurous, attractive female pen pal. He goes on to describe himself as a loving, kind, gentle and caring person who is stuck in a terrible and precarious situation. His name is Brian Dickson and above that profile it says convicted of first degree murder.

That’s right, he’s a convicted murderer looking for love on a website called Canadian Inmates Connect.

Dickson was convicted of murdering a York University student from China in 2011. He was sentenced to life in prison and will be eligible for parole in 2036. While this site is legal, victims advocates say it is not moral.

Clare Freeman, Interval House: “We just passed a victims bill of rights and really, if you ask any victim who”s loved one has been murdered in the way this young woman was, I can assure you that we are re-victimizing them.”

Psychologists say people using sites like this usually get power from the belief they could help someone change.

Dr. Oren Amitay: “These women — mostly women, sometimes men — they believe that only they can see the real good in the person underneath. Only they can help the poor child that was lost many years ago. Only they can transform them into a human being.”

Even people who help former inmates re-integrate into society feel that this is not good for the public or the inmate.

John Clinton, St. Leonards: “I do think that there’s great benefit for people in the community connecting with people that are in prison for the purpose of friendship — the purpose of support, for the purpose of letting them know there’s somebody that cares about them. But I think it should begin and end there.”

Nina Devilliers was a McMaster University student murdered in 1991. There’s a memorial here on campus in her memory. It’s called the Nina Devilliers Memorial Garden. Students here are outraged that someone like Brian Dickson could be on this web site.

“I don’t think he should be on an inmate dating site, I hope in the future they do something to sort around this.”

“I would like to see that website taken down.”

“We are giving them a sense of openness that they still belong in society, and I think they shut that door off with what they’ve done.”

Many inmates find love from behind the bars of prison. Paul Bernardo is a very popular inmate with numerous women writing to him in jail. Notorious serial killer Charles Manson is marrying someone he met while in jail. While most people agree that even inmates need human connection, some say the most heinous criminals should be excluded from that list.