Q.
"Is the community ever really safe when a offender comes out of
jail?"
A.
"Depending on the kind of offense the individual has committed and
what kind of problem they had before entering prison we can plan to help
the man returning home... and keep the community safe.
In
the case of a man who has been classified as a Pedophile it is very
important to keep the man accountable and surrounded by people that
care.
If
a man has committed crimes such as theft or robbery with violence it is
different set of problems. He will not a have problem with being
around children, but he could have a problem with internal pressure that
may drive him to dangerous levels emotionally. If that was to
happen he may feel the need to commit another crime.
Yes
the community can be safe. If each community member takes up some
part of the task of reintegration of ex-offenders - it will be safe.
For more information please
contact..
ptbochaplaincy@nexicom.net
Q.
"Someone told me that a very old man just came out of prison
recently and could not find a place to stay. I think they said
that he was over 80 years old. Are there really old men in
prison?"
A.
If a man was arrested in his late 50s, tried, convicted and sent to
jail. He will do his time just like every one else. If his
crime was serious - and all crimes are serious - he may well have been
given a 15 years sentence. Suppose he was 58 when he went into
prison - his release date would be when he is 73 years old.
There
are many men in prison that are in their late 80s or even their
90s. The problem is that the prison is not built to accommodate
senior people with health issues such as physical disabilities let alone
the possible psychological problems that they may have.
It
costs the government a lot of money to keep old people in jail.
For the money that is spent each year on just maintaining one senior
citizen in prison let alone look after his major health needs, we could
easily look after two if not three men in community based senior's
residence.
For more
information please contact..
danhaley@nexicom.net
Q.
"I am afraid that if the Pedophile comes into our community to live
he will be stocking our children. I would rather join the people
protesting than have a man that evil live near my home. Can't we
keep them locked up for a longer period of time? Why do they allow
him to live in our community?"
A.
No we can't keep them locked up longer than their sentence
requires. After they have served their time in prison they have
the right to return to the Canadian community. Which community is
a problem for Correctional Service Canada (CSC) and for the police in
which ever community he will be living.
The
problem with protesters is they scare men like this into hiding and
perhaps away from view of the public. The original crime that he
committed very likely was covered and the fact that it was done in
secret is major factor for this man. His excitement was heightened
as he hid from view of his family and neighbours - committing terrible
crimes. If he now is on the run with no community accountability
or support there is often a very high possibility that he will begin the
stalking process again.
We
offer the community and the Pedophile a Circle of Support and
Accountability (COSA) that is there every day of the week to offer him
support. Most important it offers him strong accountability for
his actions and life style. If there is even the slightest hint
that he has crossed the line or has breached the conditions placed on
him - the police are immediately contacted and he is arrested
again. This has happened a few times over the past few years
in our community. But there were NO MORE VICTIMS. The COSA
served the community well.
For more
information please
contact..
danhaley@nexicom.net
Q.
Someone told me that the men that commit sexual crimes against children
are treated inside of prison and they should be okay when they get
out. Is that true?
A.
Yes, in most cases the men have to under go extensive treatment inside
the prison as they complete their time. There is good release plan
in place when they are ready to leave prison. There are many files
and tons of information to help the police and parole officers know what
they are dealing with.
Voluntarily,
one
of the "treatments" that are offered to and accepted by the
Pedophile is an injection that will chemically castrate him. Each
month he makes himself available for his shot. This shot
is very effective and completely removes the desire and ability to
perform sexually.
The
COSA members and also the police are aware of what is being done to take
or reject this drug. Failure to continue with the injection is
frowned upon by the authorities.
For more
information please contact..
danhaley@nexicom.net
Q.
I have noticed that the local newspaper puts the man's photo on their
front page when he returns from prison. Why do they do that?
A.
It is the responsibility of the police to let the public know if there
is an individual in the community that could be dangerous. All of
the files to do with this man are available an hard decisions are
arrived at with much deliberation.
In
Ontario, as the man comes from prison, not only do they publish his
photo, but they also "register" him in the Sex Offender's
Registry. It is commonly known as Christopher's Law registry -
named for the young boy that was molested and murdered by a Pedophile
living in the community. It is possible that some day this kind of
registry will be all across Canada.
For more
information please contact..
danhaley@nexicom.net
Dan Haley
Peterborough Community Chaplaincy
Main
office P.O. Box 235
Peterborough ON
K9J 6Y8
705-741-4172 (Office)
705-741-4833 (Fax)
Office
E-mail
ptbochaplaincy@nexicom.net
Dan's personal e-mail danhaley@nexicom.net
Web site
www.ptbochaplaincy.org
New
Beginnings (transition house)
953
Clonsilla Ave
K9J 5Y2
