The Conservative Party fully
supports Sensible Sentencing Trust’s call for Police and
Corrections to have the authority to drug test offenders on
Probation, Home Detention and Bail.
“It seems bizarre
that convicted criminals, with drug histories, are allowed
on the streets with no way of monitoring their drug use. We
call on the government to alter the existing law, under
urgency,” says Party Spokesman, Leighton Baker.
What is
both alarming, and tragic, is that innocent lives have been
lost to violent crime committed by people that the courts
had forbidden to use drugs, but were under the influence
anyway, and that both Corrections and Police knew that they
were powerless to monitor, and enforce, the court imposed
sanctions. Whilst ignorance is a poor excuse, there is no
ignorance now, and apathy that lets other innocent victims
suffer should be treated as a criminal act in
itself.
“Let common sense prevail and empower the
authorities to do their jobs,” concludes Leighton
Baker.
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