The minister explained that for the past couple of years the system was made too flexible which is why repeat offenders and big criminals got out early out of jail because of their good behavior in prison.

Monorath explained that the inmates can request parole after having served two thirds and if they displayed good behavior. “It was that way for many years. But before I became minister lawyers told me that mistakes snuck into the system,” said Minister Monorath who recently reviewed nearly one hundred requests for parole and denied 16. One of those requests was from a repeat offender who has been convicted ten times already. Another request was from a man who was given a 3 year prison sentence for attempted rape and attempted robbery. Minister Monorath made it clear that repeat offenders can forget about getting parole even if they behave themselves in prison. “With this minister in charge people who committed the same offence ten to fifteen times will not be granted freedom just because they behave good in prison. As soon as they are out, the same thing happens again. The Ministry of Justice and Police is here for the entire nation,” said Minister Monorath who acknowledged that the current situation has exposed the vulnerability of the resocialization program. Minister Monorath explained that more investments must be made in counseling and chances for inmates. He also explained that parole is not the same as a pardon.

“A pardon is something completely different that is granted at special occasions such as the celebration of the 50th anniversary of independence. There are different criteria for that.” In the past couple of years requests for early release or parole were granted blindly and without a second thought. Minister Monorath wants to make this a thing of the past.