Nicholson

Sex offenders, may in future, be required to serve the full term of their sentence behind bars, if a proposal by prison authorities for them to remain incarcerated up to the latest date of release is accepted by the Government.

The proposal is designed to give the correctional services more time to rehabilitate inmates through a specific treatment plan.

The recommendation was made Wednesday during a meeting of the joint select committee of Parliament examining the Offences Against the Person Act and the Incest (Punishment) Act.

It has been disclosed that the authorities in the correctional services are in dialogue with experts overseas with a view to preparing a rehabilitative plan for sex offenders.

Under the current regime applicants for parole may be released after serving two-thirds of the prescribed term.

However, they would only be required to serve the full term if, during their incarceration, they committed additional offences.

Commenting on the suggestion, committee chairman A.J. Nicholson, said he would not adopt the proposal at this time, but would await more particulars on the submission.

Recommendation to be examined

He also suggested that the Ministry of National Security, in collaboration with the legal reform unit in the Ministry of Justice, examine the recommendation to determine if it could be included in the Offences Against the Person Act.

"I rather suspect that what is being asked for here is going to relate to things other than sexual offences, now I don't want us to consider it only in the context of sexual offences, we ought not to," Senator Nicholson, the Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, told committee members.

The joint select committee will next meet on May 16 to give the Chief Parliamentary Counsel time to put together a report on the committee's recommendations.