Parole Board - One Denied, Thousands Granted

act-new-zealand

Wed Sep 22 1999 12:00:00 GMT+1200 (New Zealand Standard Time)

Parole Board - One Denied, Thousands Granted

Wednesday, 22 September 1999, 2:00 pm
Press Release: ACT New Zealand

ACT Leader Richard Prebble said he was pleased to see Karla Cardno's killer has been deprived parole.

"But the public should realise that at the same time, the Parole Board is granting parole wholesale to offenders who've served only a third of their sentence. Parole is an experiment that has failed. From questions I've asked in Parliament I can reveal that 45% of early parole prisoners reoffend within a year, and more than 73% within three years.

"None of this seems to make any difference to the Parole Board. I'm afraid I believe this particular Parole Board decision has been influenced by the fact that this is a high profile case which the public is scrutinising. Less publicised offenders who have raped, bashed, maimed and terrorised are being granted parole every week.

"The parole board should be abolished. We should have a Truth in Sentencing law requiring all offenders to serve at least 80% of their sentence.

"Early release should be administered solely by the prison service who are likely to be tougher, and only granted for exemplary behaviour in prison.

"Under my Truth in Sentencing proposal most offenders will serve their full sentence - which is exactly what the judge ordered and the public expects."

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