The Department of Probation and Parole announced on Friday that three jailed offenders are currently free on parole.
Cuthbert Henry, Director of Probation and Parole, told reporters that they had made a number of recommendations and “and we expect some persons will be released” in the near future.
However, he underlined the importance of informing victims when this occurs.
According to Henry, if parole is suggested for someone doing time for rape, and the victim is unaware and boards the same vehicle as the assailant, “how do you deal with it?” I believe we need to feel a responsibility as a department. “We have a responsibility to engage the victims,” Henry stated during a press conference last week.
He continued: “You need to know that that person is there so we tell you what to look for.”
The director also stated that the department is confronting a few issues. Other than hiring additional employees, “one of the biggest challenges we have is that parole was instituted recently and a lot of persons at the facility have been there for a long time.”
“So the work now is very intense,” as the Department has to assess “their risky behaviours and create plans so that they could be released safely; safety and risk management is key for us,” the director explained.
Nonetheless, he stated that the Department looks forward to some of the releases “because we recognise that some of the purposes of incarceration have been met.”