Cynthia Busuttil
Electronic tagging instead of jail
Corradino prison. Photo: Matthew Mirabelli
Prisoners serving a life sentence, with the exception of terrorists, would be able to leave prison early through a parole system under recommendations unveiled yesterday.
The Restorative Justice Task Force recommended that the judiciary would in their judgment stipulate the minimum number of years an offender sentenced for 20 years or more had to serve before being considered for parole.
As a general rule, the parole eligibility date would be calculated at half the sentence, with offenders having to apply six months beforehand.
Recommendations published by the task force said that even relapsers would be eligible for parole although they would be bound with more rigorous conditions and requirements than other offenders.
Even foreigners would be eligible for early release, the task force recommended. It expressed its belief that all inmates, except terrorists, should be eligible for parole, with the system being phased in gradually.
On the other hand, those who had been jailed for up to a year would not qualify for parole and would continue to benefit from remission, which is granted to prisoners on grounds of good conduct.
The onus of establishing the level of risk and danger an offender posed would lie with the Parole Board.
The task force noted that parole should be considered as a concession and not a right and it would be up to the Parole Board to decide on a case by case basis.
Those who breached the conditions of parole would risk having their licence revoked and, for major breaches, the offender would be returned to prison immediately.
Electronic tagging is also being considered as an alternative to incarceration in certain cases while a system of regular random urine testing for both inmates and staff should be introduced immediately.
Among its 44 recommendations, the task force is suggesting a system to reduce interaction between inmates who were motivated to change their behaviour and those who were not.
Unmotivated offenders would be kept in a division with limited privileges while those eager to change their behaviour would move to a different division with increased privileges.
The task force is recommending the creation of an induction zone within the prison where fresh inmates were housed until they are evaluated by the Offenders Assessment Board.
It is also proposing the appointment of a fully-fledged probation officer, whose role would be to help the prisoner to be effectively reintegrated into society. A plan would start being drawn up as soon as the person is admitted to the Corradino Correctional Facility.
The setting up of a unit to offer psychological services within the prison is another proposal. This would be made up of forensic psychologists who would ensure the general well-being of the offender and aimed at reducing criminal behaviour.
The rudimentary educational and vocational structure within the prison has to be strengthened, according to the task force, and the new unit would cater for this.
A training centre at the correctional facility is being proposed. This would cater for specific classes of inmates who could not have prison leave, including those awaiting judgment. The centre could be run either by the Employment and Training Corporation or an NGO.
Prison operations would be reviewed to establish which human and infrastructural resources are needed to support the concept of restorative justice and the introduction of the parole system.
Inmates will be involved in drawing up a personalised and reintegration programme as the task force feels there is no one-size-fits-all approach.
The report recommends setting up in-house programmes to help reform the offender's character and prepare him for future employment.
However, supervision and the setting up such programmes should not be within the remit of the Parole Board, as recommended by the White Paper. Instead, these should be managed by a care and reintegration manager. The setting up of a victims' support group is being proposed. This would guide them through compensation proceedings and inform them when the person who committed a crime against them is given parole.
Appointing a victim service unit officer, who would explain the rights of the victim and his role during court proceedings, is another suggestion. The officer would help the victim avoid being victimised again and refer those who need further assistance to existing NGOs offering support services.
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Peter Korsten
Sep 4th 2009, 14:11
It's interesting to see that in a country with one of the lowest number of murders in Europe (both in absolute numbers and per capita), so many people are concerned that all of a sudden we'll have axe murderers roaming the streets. Ooh yes, let's build bigger prisons! Sure, we don't need decent roads.
Are we all forgetting that, in the vast majority of cases, the murderer is close to the victim? Husband kills ex-wife, that sort of thing.
Really, the short-sightedness of the commentators on this site is nothing short of staggering.
What is strange, though, is that terrorists would not be eligible for parole. Why in heaven's name? Do we have such a big terrorism problem in Malta? So a murderer could be reformed, but a terrorist could not? Did they notice that there's a new president in the USA, and that the "War on Terror" is no longer a phrase they use?
No, I guess not.
gaffarena joseph
Sep 4th 2009, 07:19
So now the local authorities ,because of lack of space in our prison, and for financial reasons,invented this parole to these criminals.In no time we are going to see these offenders roaming again our streets with a tag on their hands.So, because our minister had some 70 recomandations, he is going to make the biggest flop (cuccata),that no other responsable minister ever thought of doing such a treat to our country.
Another quality product that this administration is giving us.In no time we will regret this parole ,and God only knows the negative aspect that will bring to our community.
Yes Malta is changing bur only for the worst,
edward bartolo
Sep 3rd 2009, 08:12
What about the murdered victims? Shall they be resurrected from their graves to live again with their loved ones?
Wearing a bracelet is not a decent sentence for a convicted murderer and for other serious offences!
J Oatmon
Sep 3rd 2009, 07:47
The whole criminal 'justice' system in Malta stinks.
I think the vast number of undeserved suspended sentences, early releases, and these proposals, are happening because the prison 'system' does not have the capacity to handle the true amount of prisoners.
There needs to be a new much larger prison built, and new larger law courts, to handle the true crime in Malta.
Releasing these nutters onto the streets will increase crime dramatically, and the ordinary citizen, the old, the weak, and the children will all pay the price for this folly.
Malta needs to build another much larger modern prison, and new larger modern law courts now.
If we don't get this the situation will get worse and worse, and we will have more dangerous criminals on the streets than in prison.
Kevin Zammit
Sep 2nd 2009, 21:24
In a country of hot heads and armed with shotguns that's all a bully needs to oknow that s/he does not need to serve a life sentence ... battered wives will be the first to enjoy the such kindness
L Debono
Sep 2nd 2009, 14:48
This is very serious. There are cases world wide that an ex con will show change for the board examinations and when he / she's out will reoffend again. Early release had resulted in people being raped and murdered. Before jumping into hasty decisions, the statistics of reoffending murders, rapists and paedophiles should be analyzed properly. This is very serious and an electronic bracelet will not stop someone from murdering again. Going this route will result into a serious problem to public safety. I think it is unfair for the rest of the population to share the island with a number of criminals on the loose. The parole board wants to take responsibility but human life is too precious to have some one from behind a desk deciding, if an ex murderer or rapist should be left loose with some conditions.
Franco Farrugia
Sep 2nd 2009, 13:50
In other words, we are not trusting the correctional facilities / prison system. In other words, we have given up on the prison system and we - as a state - have given up trying to knock some sense and order inside the prison gates.
Phil Press
Sep 2nd 2009, 12:19
I would have thought, for "Electronic Tagging", you would have to have a reliable electricity service. LOL
malcolm seychell
Sep 2nd 2009, 11:59
Shame and more Shame.
WE need to protect honest citizens and not criminals.
I would give a chance for minor offender and not dangerous criminals.
Even relapsers will benefit again from parole!
Martin Abela
Sep 2nd 2009, 11:12
Do those who wrote this report know that in prison there is already an office with psychologists? do those who wrote the report know that there is a training center with 5 classrooms and provide 15 different study subjects?
As usual these reports do not touch reality, if they did long ago the minister would have started recruitment of officers?.
Those the minister realise that in CCF there are currently over 520 inmates in a place designed for just over 450 with one section of 40 cells still undergoing refurbishment (almost 2 years now) how can one dream of separating and segregating?? or those the minister intend to build another extension,the last one cost 14 million euros and it all came out of taxpayers pockets.
Wake up and speak the truth not the dreams.
Joanne Micallef
Sep 2nd 2009, 11:03
In my opinion, life is life and just like for the terrorists, people who have done such serious crimes to be given such a though sentence should not be eligible for parole either.
Eric Camilleri
Sep 2nd 2009, 10:45
What a hypocritical recommendation !
So a Terrorist is a threat to the State and consequently it is recommended that a terrorist remains locked up for the sake of the State. However notwithstanding that a criminal, worst still murderers, are a threat to the individual citizen they are apparently worth considering being released. Citizens demand JUSTICE and this is the absolute contrary to what should be served. These recommendations are an insult to all victims of crime.
Carla Mifsud
Sep 2nd 2009, 10:13
Last time I was watching the National Geographic recount of the Hijacking that killed nearly 60 people in Malta.
When it cames to sentencing the terrorist, they said he spent ONLY 7 years in jail.
So do you really believe we need to get softer on criminals or what? the Parole system exists in most modern countries, but they also have real life sentances and the death penalty for the worst offenders. Yes I do support the death pentalty, not because it is a deterant, as this was proven to be untrue, but since some people are genetically prone to kill and cause damage. People like that should be eliminated from society before they are given time to reproduce.
C.ZARB
Sep 2nd 2009, 10:10
Dear Mr/Ms Victim. We are happy to inform you that the CRIMINAL that killed your child's is out after serving 10 years of imprisonment. He was given a second chance. I hope that your child will be given a second chance to in the next life.
Ronnie Gauci
Sep 2nd 2009, 10:08
Always thinking of new and innovative ways to make the life of criminals easier - should be the motto of this Government.