Drunk-driving convict pre-approved for day parole despite victims' families' objections

In October 2024, Brittany Barry, 35, drove the wrong direction on a divided Highway 11 near Dundurn, colliding with another vehicle and killing passengers Laura Hannah, 53, and Jamie Hannah, 20, while injuring her two children. She pleaded guilty to drunk driving and received a six-year prison term on 14 March 2025. After serving roughly a year and a half, the Parole Board of Canada issued a pre-approval for day parole, allowing her to reside in a community-based halfway house and take unescorted temporary leaves for family visits, church, and AA meetings.

The board weighed her acceptance of responsibility, personal-growth efforts, and clean record in minimum-security custody against the victims’ families’ view that release was premature. Barry will be barred from alcohol, bars, driving, and any contact with the victims’ relatives, while continuing mandated counseling. A seven-year driving prohibition already forms part of her sentence, and the parole conditions reinforce that ban.