Rehabilitation is failing - Hermon
Ulster Unionist MP Lady Hermon has through a series of Parliamentary Questions exposed the failures in Northern Ireland of Community Sentencing. The North Down MP said:
“A high percentage of offenders are re-offending. We all know that. The majority of crime is committed by a minority of criminals. However, it’s shocking to discover that around 40% of those made subject to Community Orders re-offend during the currency of those Orders. We know the fault isn’t with the Probation Service which cannot be expected to monitor these offenders 24/7. The pressure on the Probation Service’s resources makes effective monitoring and engagement virtually impossible. Nevertheless, at the current time rehabilitation is failing.”
Commenting on Charles Clarke’s new proposals for control orders for dangerous criminals after release from prison, the Ulster Unionist Home Affairs Spokesperson continued:
“It’s the duty of every Government to protect the public and it’s the duty of any Home Secretary to maintain public confidence in the criminal justice system and reassure the public that dangerous offenders are being dealt with. The recent spate of murders committed by those on licence or under some form of supervision has seriously eroded public confidence.”
“I’ll keep an open mind on Charles Clarke’s proposals and study the detail. If they tackle the problem effectively, I’ll ensure Northern Ireland isn’t left behind. But before we deal with new measures, we should get rid of current measures that are clearly failing. I would begin by terminating early release as it currently stands. It’s appalling that offenders can be released, before serving even half of their sentence, into a system of inadequate supervision. That is, and has been, a recipe for disaster, in particular for the innocent victims.”