Ja: Parole system to ease up on inmates

A major review of the parole system to improve the administration for the benefit of the society and inmates is currently underway, said minister of national security Dr Peter Phillips.

Phillips told the House of Representatives on Wednesday during the sectoral debate that currently, someone who was convicted of murder could be out on parole after serving only seven years, because of the eligibility for parole after serving one-third of the sentence. "The intention is to have certain types of crimes demand the serving of a minimum sentence before eligibility for parole," he said.

"We have received reports that currently, even when inmates become eligible for parole, their files may not be brought forward. We will now stipulate that once an inmate becomes eligible the file must automatically be forwarded to the commissioner (of corrections) who will check for completeness and then forward to the board," he added.

He said that the main advantage would be efficiency in processing with a direct impact on relieving overcrowding. However, public safety would not be compromised.

Parole after serving only one-third of a sentence for murder is absurd. With so high a crime rate in Jamaica, how can reducing the time-served penalty for crime benefit the society. Improving the system to help inmates is one thing; changing it to place killers back on the streets early is another.

Furthermore, offering the old canard that "public safety would not be compromised" with the early release of murderers is a dereliction of national security. There is a good reason why crime rates decrease when the prison population increases. Put rapists, murderers and other assorted thugs and criminals back on the street early -- to ease overcrowding, no less -- and watch the crime rate increase. Jamaica can not afford that.