Cynthia Busuttil
Parole is a concession not a right
Inmates would be able to leave prison midway through their sentence if accepted for parole under recommendations published yesterday.
However, in its 44 proposals, the Restorative Justice Task Force is suggesting that the judiciary should establish the minimum time a person sentenced for 20 years or more in prison had to serve before being considered for parole.
"Parole is to be considered as a concession and not a right," the task force, headed by Joe Gerada, former head of the Foundation for Social Welfare Services, said.
Terrorists would not be eligible for parole and those sentenced for up to 12 months in jail would continue to benefit from remission on grounds of good conduct. The task force recommended changes in the structure of prison to separate those who were motivated to change from those who were not.
Victims would also be helped and supported through the judicial process. A victim support group had already been recommended in a White Paper on restorative justice.
"All recommendations are being considered," a spokesman for the Justice Ministry said.
The White Paper was published in February and proposed a parole system, the setting up of a victim support group and empowering the court to order community service and the payment of damages.
The task force received 35 submissions from the public and non-governmental organisations during a four-month consultation period.
A Bill is being drafted and will be presented first to Cabinet and then to Parliament before it comes into force next year.
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Henry M.
Sep 3rd 2009, 08:09
What a farce...so "A Bill is being drafted and will be presented first to Cabinet and then to Parliament before it comes into force next year."
AND WHAT ABOUT DIVORCE????? The goverment should focus on much more serious and needed issues and not about giving concessions to offenders!!!
ohh but we need to count the VOTES ux!!!
GiovDeMartino
Sep 2nd 2009, 20:01
Se nigu bhal barra. Nibzghu nohorgu fit-triq!
anthony girard
Sep 2nd 2009, 16:27
I am so pleased that the restorative justice proposals are comint to fruition, in particular the parole system.
So true, as Mr. Gerada states:
Parole is a concession and not a right
When mention was made of a victim support group, I sincerely hope that this will, in some way or other, also include support for the families of those incarcerated - many of who suffer so much as a result of the actions of their family member.
George Caruana
Sep 2nd 2009, 12:45
"Terrorists would not be eligible for parole” What a dangerous notion. Inmates should NOT be classified by titles but by their deeds and convictions. And what is a terrorist? So, someone who blows up himself and kills other three persons, and another who kills three innocent bystanders during a robbery, are different?
Let us not make a mockery of our democratic values, using terrorism as a pretext, like the US and UK are doing. It would only be a paradox, a concession of defeat to those inducing global terror that despise our freedoms and liberties that make our society superior to theirs.
Michael Neville Cassar
Sep 2nd 2009, 11:41
When someone is murdered he is killed for ever not for 20 years so give us back the death penalty or 80 years in prison , stop cheating the victims.
Martin Abela
Sep 2nd 2009, 11:19
The way parole is being proposed does not make much sense, most inmates get less than 5 years sentence, this means that they will get a very small discount in prison sentence length if they go for parole. One must remember that inmates are eligible to work leave in the last 3 months hence parole on a 5 year sentence will only give an inmate 4 months earlier release. In most cases inmates will consider this at not sufficient enough an advantage.
It was said that inmates on terrorism will not be eligible for parole, will an inmate who killed 4 , escaped 4 times and smuggled a weapoon (gun) in CCF be eligible to parole, i hope MJHA will provide a straight answer and not hide behind smoke screens such as boards and courts.
Carla Mifsud
Sep 2nd 2009, 10:12
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.