Question NW9 to the Minister of Justice and Correctional Services

Reply:

I would like to apprise the Honourable Member that the profiles of the mentioned offenders have been submitted to the National Council for Correctional Services (NCCS) for reconsideration thereafter which it will be submitted to my office for a decision.

The fact that these offenders are eligible for consideration for placement on parole does not mean that conditional placement will be granted automatically, as a number of factors are considered before placement can be approved. Accordingly, dates of their placement on parole cannot be provided at this stage as they are still to be considered by the National Council for Correctional Services and where placement on parole or further profiling can be decided upon.

The following factors are among other factors taken into consideration when an offender is considered for possible placement on parole:

• The offenders response to development and treatment programmes associated with rehabilitation.
• The existence and quality of support systems in the community.
• The probability of re- offending.
• The risk that the offender may pose to the community at large and
• The outcome of restorative justice processes and possible referral for mediation if it had not been done prior to the Correctional Supervision and Parole Board meeting; and the risk to the victim.

END