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| NEWS | Sunday, 30 March 2008 Criminology students lobby for introduction of parole David Darmanin The Criminology Students Association (GHSK) this week launched an online petition to register support for the introduction of the parole system in Malta. In a matter of days, by email dissemination, the petition already features over a hundred signatures.
Parole is the supervised release of a prisoner before the completion of sentence. This differs from amnesty or commutation of sentence in that parolees are still considered to be serving their sentences, and may be returned to prison if they violate the conditions of their parole. GHSK President Sue Micallef told MaltaToday the association intends to collect as many online signatures as possible in the coming two months, followed by a paper-based petition campaign. “Then, we shall be presenting both petitions to government in order to have this system introduced in Malta as soon as possible,” she said. “In its electoral manifesto, the PN promised the introduction of parole, and this petition will serve to get them going.” When the issue first emerged in the media, towards the end of last year, articles written by MPs from both sides of parliament, namely from José Herrera and Jason Azzopardi, seemed to express a level of consensus in the idea of introducing the parole system in Malta. “People out there do not know what parole really is,” Micallef explained. Among the signatures featured on the online petition, one also finds the endorsement of PN Treasurer Peter Darmanin, alongside his comment reading: “I fully support the petition. I spent over 11 years as a Probation and Parole Officer in North South Wales, Australia and know quite well the benefits of the Parole system.” “If Corradino is really a Correctional Facility as it claims to be, then parole is a must,” Micallef said. “In most of the times, parole is known to be successful in helping detainees to rehabilitate, while the system is also cost-effective. The way it works is that once you are in prison, you are assigned with a parole officer both throughout detention as well as after release. “Services at Corradino Correctional Facility (CCF) are very dependent on handovers. What this means is that if you are assigned a social worker before entering prison, you are automatically assigned another social worker once you start serving your sentence. This is also the case with psychological aid. There is no continuation. Moreover, once released, most services are not even available as there are practically no effective aftercare services. With a parole system, an officer stays with the detainee throughout the stay and after. “Offenders serve their sentences doing practically nothing. Visiting prison, you will find that detainees spend their time watching DVDs, smoking cigarettes and getting bored. Educational services in prison are close to zero. Literacy levels and other skills remain at a low. Parole gives the opportunity for the take-up of initiatives to study, attend courses and develop certain skills. “The parole officer would help in identifying what offenders would want to do with their lives once they’re released. Being in touch with the outside world also helps them regret what they’ve done. “One must also remember that once released from prison, people will need to deal with major issues. They would need to deal with a tainted criminal conduct while job-hunting. Very often, there are issues with finding a home, re-integration into society and other factors. Parole is meant to ease this process.” Any comments? |
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Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email
Managing editor Saviour Balzan | Tel. ++356 21382741 | Fax: ++356 21385075 | Email