MP wants prisoners to stay in for Xmas

The law should be changed to make prisoners stay behind bars until after Christmas festivities are over, Act MP Stephen Franks says.

The Department of Corrections has confirmed four more prison inmates have been released under a Christmas early release scheme that led to an Invercargill man serving just one hour of a one-month jail term for drink-driving.

However, a department spokeswoman declined to confirm reports the four were released under the scheme without serving any time behind bars.

The Parole Act 2002 allows for the chief executive of the Department of Corrections to authorise an offender, whose statutory release date falls between December 15 and January 5, to be released after December 1.

This clause in the new Parole Act is a carryover from the previous Criminal Justice Act.

It was designed to ensure prison inmates were not released at a time Government agencies and welfare services were closed for the holiday period.

The department has said as many as 234 inmates could be released under its national early release policy this Christmas.

Mr Franks suggested the Government change the law so most inmates could not get out of prison until three weeks after the Christmas festivities.

He said the Government should "cancel the early release policy for all burglars, pub bullies and any other type of criminal likely to use their Christmas freedom to make life a misery for others".

If a criminal had the bad luck to be due for release in a period when essential support agencies were not around to organise their reintegration, they should be kept in prison for the same period corrections officials had been prepared to cut off sentences.

"That would suggest a closed period for releases until, say, January 15," Mr Franks said.

A spokesman for Justice Minister Phil Goff said offenders could not be kept in jail past their release date because that would be adding to their sentences - which was not allowed under the law.

The controversy over the department's policy followed the release of 20-year-old Jason Mann, of Invercargill, after just one hour of a one-month jail term for drink driving - his second drink-driving conviction.

Corrections Department general manager Phil McCarthy defended Invercargill Prison staff and promised an internal review of the policy that allowed Mann's early release.

Mr Franks said on Friday that he had asked Corrections Minister Mark Gosche to collect data about the department's "Christmas get-out-of-jail-free policy".

- NZPA