Fiji: Hughes helps young felons

Police Commissioner Andrew Hughes is willing to back options that do not include jail for young offenders.

He said he was in favour of non-custodial sentences for young offenders to help them change their behaviour. Mr Hughes said it was about time Fiji explored other options for youths.
He made the comment in reaction to New Zealand judge Andrew Becroft's statement that jailing young offenders would not reform them but create more problems.
He said prison must be the last resort for young people.
Mr Hughes said he was keen to see the exploration of alternatives for youths, particularly first offenders, rather than sending them to prison.
“The court and the justice system are in a difficult position because there aren't a lot of options. The prisons are full and they aren't an environment that's conducive to young offenders,” he said.
“So I think its time Fiji looked at other options to custodial sentences, particularly custodial sentences in adult prisons.
“It's a traumatic experience for a young person to be placed in that environment and there are better options.”

On repeat offenders, he said the cycle had to be broken. Mr. Hughes said there was a line of thought that a young offender went to prison and when exposed with criminals inside, was influenced to commit further crimes.
“If we can break that cycle by looking at alternative means of punishment, then I think a lot of the young repeat offenders will be reduced in number and hopefully the severity of the crime they commit will be reduced.”
Justice Becroft said 5 per cent of youths were hard-core offenders who should come to court.

The Fiji Prison Service report for 2001-2004 shows youths from 16 to 25 years old made up the 36.18 per cent of the prison population.
Fijian youths make up 36.18 per cent of youths in prison followed by Indians at 6.52 per cent.

13 July 2005

http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=24649

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