Electronic tags an option for parole

By EUGENE BINGHAM political reporter

Corrections Minister Matt Robson wants to make it easier for the Parole Board to sleep at night.

His plan to subject violent criminals to electronic monitoring at the end of their prison term is part of a package designed to give the board more options when releasing inmates.

"They have sleepless nights because they have got to make some tough decisions. Maybe some of this technical help can ease them," Mr Robson said yesterday.

The Government is considering giving the board an option of putting the violent offenders on home detention at the end of their stretch in jail as a first step to full release into the community.

"I will not replace jail with home detention - I want to give parole authorities an extra monitoring tool for closer supervision."

At the same time, work is also being done on Canadian psychological tests that could be used to screen out psychopaths in the prison system and make it harder for them to be released.

The Opposition attacked Mr Robson yesterday for his stance on electronic monitoring for people on bail.

Papers released by National MP Tony Ryall show that Mr Robson fought attempts by Justice Minister Phil Goff to expand the home detention scheme to include accused on bail.

In a letter to Mr Goff in April, Mr Robson objected to the extension of the scheme, saying that electronic anklets were unlikely to reduce offending while on bail. He also believed that it would compromise the principle of being innocent until proven guilty.

Mr Ryall questioned how Mr Robson could now back home detention for parolees. "He has shown his hypocrisy," Mr Ryall said.

Mr Robson said he was trying to toughen release conditions so the community had an extra safeguard when violent criminals were inevitably released.

A headline in yesterday's Herald incorrectly stated that the expanded home detention scheme would see prisoners released early.