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Lawyer: Prisons shouldn't be 'retirement homes behind razor wire'

Author
Hannah Bartlett,
Publish Date
Tue, 13 Oct 2015, 5:58AM

Lawyer: Prisons shouldn't be 'retirement homes behind razor wire'

Author
Hannah Bartlett,
Publish Date
Tue, 13 Oct 2015, 5:58AM

The Parole Board will wait another three years before reviewing the case of Alfred Vincent.

As New Zealand's longest-serving prisoner, he's spent nearly 48 years behind bars for prolific sexual offences against young boys.

He will be 80 years old before he's eligible for parole again, but the Parole Board says he's still a risk to society.

Human Rights lawyer Michael Bott said his mental impairment and sentence-to-date, is not an excuse to keep him behind bars.

"Given the catalogue of disabilities the nature of the offending itself does seem somewhat disproportionate and severe to see this man locked up in his eighties when in fact he needs specialist aged care."

Michael Bott says this shouldn't be an excuse to use prisons as "retirement homes behind razor wire".

Bott says it's more likely there's too much cost associated with transferring him to aged care.

"In terms of risk it's laughable that he would pose a risk but it is nevertheless the case that inmates who are in prison for a long period of time do become institutionalised."

 

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