In the spotlight today
Should Parole for Violent Criminals be Abolished? – 2007-08-14 22:50:25.948
Poll Outcome
Yes – 88%
No – 12%
This is a very divisive and complex issue. As we can see from the results of the poll, it is very popular to advocate for the “lock ‘em up and throw away the key” approach. Groups such as the Sensible Sentencing Trust have been lobbying for a long time for tougher sentences including no chance of parole for violent and sexual offenders.
On the other side of the argument are those that advocate for a restorative approach based on rehabilitation and eventual reintegration back into society. Organisations that represent this approach include the Salvation Army and the Prison Fellowship.
There is often a fundamental ideological difference between the two arguments which is very hard to bridge. This is the debate surrounding the permanence of a person’s character and whether the significant flaws within that, which lead to violent or abusive behaviour, can be eradicated so that that person can be safely reintroduced back into society.
Geoffrey Palmer and the Law Commission consider that the present sentencing system is based on something that borders on deception. They think that there needs to be a closer relationship between a nominal sentence which is imposed by a judge and the actual time served by a prisoner. The Government currently has the Criminal Justice Reform Bill before Parliament which sets out to do just that. While sentences handed down will be shorter, the non-parole period in most cases will be longer thus providing a better correlation between the sentence and the time served.
United Future Position:
While generally United Future advocates a policy of restorative justice we realise that the public’s safety is paramount. In light of this our policies towards violent and sexual offenders remain stern, although they do not go as far as completely denying parole regardless of any change in an offender’s character. Our policies that relate to violent and sexual offenders include:
- Introduce tougher minimum penalties for child abuse and neglect, child sexual offences and child pornography.
- Remand all multiple violent sex-offenders in custody under monitoring regimes in prison or in a mental health facility for life
- Deny home detention for violent offenders, drug dealers, and child abusers
- Introduce minimum sentences that more accurately reflect the nature of offending, the impact on victims, and the social denunciation of crime.
- Concurrent sentences are not to be a default position. Judges to use their discretion to recommend concurrent or non-concurrent sentences.
- Ensure that parole conditions for sex offenders include monitoring, curfews and residential assessments.