No parole for Capill

The Press reports:

Child-sex offender Graham Capill has been denied parole because he has not completed any rehabilitation programmes and poses “an undue risk to the safety of the community”.

Does he still maintain some of the sex was consensual? If so, definitely not fit for release. Especially considering the particular circumstances of the case which can not be detailed publicly.

Dave at Big News has some more details:

But what the media does not report is that there has been a bit of a disagreement about which sex offender programme Capill should be on. He wants to go on one- the STOP programme – a community-based programme, but his psychologists want him to go on the Kia Marama one, in prison. He is waiting to be treated on the latter programme. Yet Capill may not even get accepted onto that programme until 2011, because the 60-bed unit is always full, and he is down the waiting list behind those who have been behind bars for longer.

In fact the Press did cover this:

The Corrections Department said yesterday that Kia Marama was prioritised for prisoners near the end of their sentences.

“The programmes are designed to assist offenders live an offence-free life in the community,” it said. “For this reason, they are best attended close to the point at which the offender will be released.

“We aim to schedule eligible offenders about one year prior to their parole date. For example, a prisoner on a nine-year sentence who needs to attend the Kia Marama programme will be at the end of his fifth year in prison.

“We do not move longer-term offenders ahead in the schedule if this results in a shorter-term offender not being able to access treatment …

Dave comments:

Since writing this post I have been advised that the reason Capill preferred the STOP programme to the Kia Marama one was because the former one aligned more to Christian principles. I pointed out that Capill is a sex offender, so his “Christian principles” probably don’t count for much.

I agree. I think he wanted the STOP programme as you do it after you have been released from prison on parole.

The key thing for me is the victims, as reported by the Press:

The board had letters from Capill’s victims and had met one of them. All expressed fears for the safety of a person whose name was withheld.

Makes it an easy call.