McIntosh Release Highlights Labour's Failure

Friday 16 Jul 2004

Stephen Franks Press Releases - Crime & Justice

The decision to released recidivist sex offender Lloyd McIntosh from prison shows just how many things are wrong with Justice Minister Phil Goff's 2002 so-called `reforms', ACT New Zealand Justice Spokesman Stephen Franks said today.

"A monster who needs such close supervision upon release obviously should have received a longer sentence - close and constant supervision is what prison is for," Mr Franks said.

"The fact that Corrections was forced to released McIntosh halfway through an 18-month sentence might also remind us of the fraudulent intent behind Mr Goff's 2002 rule that every sentence under two years is automatically cut in half.

"There is only one redeeming feature involved with McIntosh's release: at least, this time, the community was consulted. Presumably, however, it was stupid privacy sensibilities that stopped the authorities from being completely honest and telling the community just which offender was being released into their midst.

"ACT's criminal justice reforms would end this culture of secrecy, where the courts are nominally still open, but the secrecy clamps down as soon as the court process ends," Mr Franks said.

ENDS

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