00:00Within a few months, Mr. Speaker, the prison service is going to enlist, how many? 800 new prison officers in
00:11this room.
00:13Justice Minister Devish Maraj, after he received the confirmation from Homeland Security Minister Roger Alexander,
00:20during the winding up of the debate of the parole bill in the House of Representatives.
00:24The victim is given a chance to speak, not only speaking to the board.
00:31The offender is right there. He's telling the offender, what you did really hurt me.
00:37You should not have done that. The offender will be talking back to him.
00:41Boss, I was scrunting, I make a thief, I beg your forgiveness.
00:47There's conversation going on at the parole board.
00:51What is that? Not healing? That's not restorative justice?
00:54At the committee stage, Opposition MP and former Minister of Policing, Keith Scotland,
00:59proposed an amendment which he said is in keeping with the New Zealand model.
01:04And we see an independent office of the parole ombudsman for something so important as parole.
01:14I think it gives the offender a real chance of challenging any decision which he or she feels is systematically
01:30unfair.
01:42Attorney General John Jeremy said an existing clause in the bill provides for submission of the report on the operations
01:48to the minister and thereafter the parliament.
01:51Then also, if you look at clause 8 of the bill, the board is to be independent and not subject
01:58to the direction or control of any person in the performance of its functions and in the exercise of its
02:06powers under this act.
02:07We believe that that provision comes close to trenching on Section 8.
02:15So, it's rejected.
02:18MP Scotland and Senior Council proposed another amendment on behalf of the Opposition.
02:23Mr. Chairman, the amendment to clause 20 requires, in our view, that the period, as it relates for the eligibility
02:39for parole,
02:41be extended to a person serving smaller sentences, that is, sentences less than 10 years.
02:53The attorney general, who is also a senior counsel, made the government's position clear.
02:59We thank the member for what is being served for a useful amendment.
03:06If I was to take sub-clause 3 first, the idea of a schedule is not offensive.
03:17Of course, there is no schedule here, so that's not before us.
03:24The idea is not properly fleshed out, so we have to reject that.
03:28The bill was later passed by the House of Representatives with amendments approved by the government.
03:33The attorney general said some of the issues raised during the committee stage will be addressed when the bill goes
03:39before the Senate.
03:41Jewel Brown, TV6 News.
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