Prison group hits out at ALP's antisocial behaviour policy

The manager of the Northern Territory's Re-integration After Prison Project says sending hardcore drinkers to jail will widen the vicious circle of crime.

Bill Somerville says the project is the Territory's only non-government agency devoted to helping released prisoners get back on their feet.

Mr Somerville says under Labor's antisocial behaviour policy, magistrates would not give long sentences to hardcore drinkers who refuse rehabilitation.

He says many untreatable drinkers would go from a spin cycle of dry out shelters to a succession of prison terms.

"I've had experience of people being released from jail and within four hours being arrested drunk and disorderly and...most times for some sort of criminal offence, so I can't see anything in the system that is going to change that," he said.

He says because of limited resources, the Territory's prisons only provide alcohol treatment programs for long-term inmates.

"I can't see how someone who goes to prison for antisocial behaviour is going to be subject to a long sentence and certainly not long enough to run through one of those programs," he said.

Mr Somerville says if Labor introduces its antisocial behaviour policy he will have a lot more work to do.

He says magistrates are loathe to send minor offenders to prison because of the high rate of re-offending.

Mr Somerville says people like itinerants already living in a precarious situation before jail would be more likely to commit further offences on release and return to prison.

Newshawk: http://www.napnt.org
Pubdate: Tue, 07 Jun 2005
Source: Australian Broadcasting Corporation (Australia Web)
Copyright: 2005 Australian Broadcasting Corporation
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