Parole board still has questions to answer
How was Burton released from segregation straight out into the public? How can a man who has been deep within prison culture really succeed on the outside? Why wasn’t there a process to de-institutionalize this guy? Are we really surprised that this tragedy occurred? The Parole board still has some answers to give the public, especially those victimised by Burton.
Burton 'not stable' before parole
A former worker at Rimutaka Prison has revealed Burton was regarded as unstable and potentially violent a month before he was granted parole. Andy Coward, who has a PhD in cognitive psychology, was working in the segregation unit at Rimutaka Prison when Burton was transferred there about May last year. The parole board decided to release Burton in March pending a psychological assessment. He was granted parole in June and released on July 10. Dr Coward has worked in prison systems for 20 years across four continents and dealt with Burton for a fortnight. "If he [Burton] was suitable for parole, surely he would have been in a lower risk unit. You don't put him in a high security unit if he's going to be released. That doesn't make any sense whatsoever," Dr Coward said. "I couldn't believe they let him out. He clearly wasn't stable." Dr Coward said he had no issues with Burton and "consequently never saw the worst of him". "I never saw him strike anyone, but I saw him lose his temper a few times. He certainly had a potential for violence."
The Corrections Department would not comment on why Burton was transferred nor whether he remained there until his release. The department has generally refused to comment on Burton until its internal review of the case is completed. President of the Howard League for Penal Reform Peter Williams, QC, questioned whether an inmate in the segregation unit would be ready for release. "I would have thought he'd go through a period of lessened security in prison and that would continue - though it's not always practical - outside the prison so the adjustment to society is not abrupt, but gradual," Mr Williams said. "If a person is regarded as being so difficult that he needs to be segregated in prison, one would think it would be unlikely that he would immediately adjust."
Of course Burton’s offending will force focus on another little treasure, Bailey Junior Kurariki. I remember arguing at the time of his conviction that he should never have been put inside a prison and that he was guilty of a trial by media. 12 year olds shouldn’t be put in prison, he will become a little monster from his experiences inside and all those who cried for his incarceration will immediately jump on his next crime with as much passion, refusing to see how putting him inside in the first place will connect with his offending behaviour now. I bet most people aren’t even aware that Kurariki never even hit Michael Choy.
Child killer's parole hearing not going ahead today
The parole hearing for New Zealand's youngest killer is not going ahead today. Bailey Junior Kurariki, who was 12 when he and five other young people killed south Auckland pizza delivery man Michael Choy in September 2001, was expected to come before the parole board today. But parole board spokeswoman Sonja de Friez said the board would not be hearing Kurariki's application for release just yet.
posted by Bomber @ 2:27 pm
30 comments
30 Comments:
You think Bailey Junior Kurariki shouldn't have been put in jail in the first place? He gave the signal for the attack to commence and was the decoy that allowed the actual wielder of the bat to get close enough to kill Michael Choy.
It seems that he was a monster already. Some people, a very very small percentage, just are.
"12 year olds shouldn’t be put in prison, he will become a little monster from his experiences inside"
I would have to say that the reason he went to prison in the first place is because he already was a little monster.
Age has nothing to do with ones inherent evilness.
Instead of having Bailey Kurariki incracerated what would you suggest society do Bomber ?
Boomer would have him eating pizza and playing softball.
AB
very simple
No Parole for Violent Offenders. Period.
If you kill/maim/rape, you serve your whole sentence. No debate.
I can see where Scott is coming from in his call for full sentences...and I believe a majority of society would agree with it as it makes a great political slogan, however parole is an important part of rehabilitation...if you intend on releasing someone you should have a slow conditional release, unlike in this case where someone can go from segregation to release...the mind truely boggles its amazing to think someone actually thought that was a good idea...pressure of the prison population getting to you...hell release whoever's next up without giving it a second thought?!!! Everyone should serve parole, but it has to be conditional..especially if they are violent offenders, I think there's more to be said for that then say keeping them in prison for a couple of years longer and releasing them cold. The authorities have more control over a paroled prisoner imho. But automatic parole...seemingly regardless of behaviour....very very stupid!!!
Of course some scumbags are too far gone and should never be considered for parole...but thats for another day
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I think Anon has nailed this - parole is an incredibly important tool to moderate prisoner behaviour, but I think we also agree that releasing people to free up beds is stupid. We also need to remember that if there is no rehabilitaion services being provided, then how can we expect those who leave Prison to be any better? The same nerve that was struck with Don Brash's 'Maaaaari get too much' was touched on when Jnr Bailey's case came up, there was such a public anger that the case was blwon up and incredibly harsh sentences handed down - how on earth could a 12 year old going into the prison system become a better person on his release?
With a bit of luck someone will kill him in prison.
Ready or no he gets out September next year.
Be afraid be very afraid.
Come on boomey this is your big chance - give him a home, job and support.
He needs the influence of a stable, non-violent, caring adult - but you would be interesting.
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Hmm, well it would be better than bitter ex prison staff as role models I suppose
Bigot.
If you had any character (as I understand that concept) you would reserve your judgment until you knew the facts, but then when you know everything I suppose there is no need to collect examine the facts. In business you learn the value of the words NEVER ASSUME.
You are so much better than everyone I am sure your contribution to society will go down in history, let us know where the book signing is so we can stay away.
Bitter ??? Delusional, smug and egocentric - I will leave to you.
Here is some news to cheer you up - an Australian (you hate them) prison officer (you hate them even more) died yesterday as a result of an assault from a criminal.
If you feel you have something to offer this crim go for it and good luck to you but why waste you energy sneering, why not use your energy and greats skills to do something worthwhile for a change.
Knocking people down, especially the ones who are down already is easy, a bit like Mike Tyson beating a one-armed 12 year old in the ring, a victory for sure but a hollow one. I would have thought. It has been suggested you could take this opportunity to build someone up for a change – what’s wrong with that, you might even like it.
While I know I have nothing to offer, I actually believe some young crims do need somewhere to go where they will get full time support and see the benefits of a different way of life.
I think such a task would take a special person and I don’t think a vicious, nasty bigot like you is the right person for that but, unlike you, I accept I could be wrong so if you have something to offer this guy ……..
I see that Mrs Croskery (Michael Choys mother) did not want early release - does this mean she is bitter and deserving of the sneers of the ignorant and arrogant. Some people just do not understand grief.
A hard, cruel, underserved, tragedy creates grief, which can look to those who have never experienced it as being bitter.
I think people with grief for events that hurt them, change their lives for the worse forever and which they did nothing to deserve, entitles people to a little more than to written off as bitter nothings.
From what I have seen of Mrs Croskery is a dignified woman who deserves respect.
My mate is one one of the top dogs at HB prison I'll pass your address on to him Boomer so he can pass it on to Jr K for when he gets out.OK?. Sometimes the old boy network works. Anything Tim needs? Cellphone? P? Woman? Let me know haha
AB
you're all mad!! Bailey Kurariki is a product of our society, a child who was made a murderer by our failure as a country to support and look after the children in our communities, to allow greed and capitalism to become more important than caring and nurturing our tamariki. We should all be ashamed of this, remember it takes a village to raise a child. He is an innocent victim of our times. Prison is not the place that he is going to learn how to be the 'great' person that he could be, this is our making, not his.
I think writing people off as ‘bitter’ is crass, simplistic and nasty.
As well as grief there is depression, post-traumatic stress and probably numerous other more thoughtful and sensitive conclusions that could be offered.
Some people get through much of their life without experiencing real pain – they should be thankful for their good fortune and less dismissive of others.
Jo.
You mean all children nowadays kill people?
Or do you mean just the evil ones?
Btw, this kid isn't the victim, the victim is the man he and his mates brutally murdered.
Remember him?
Nice try in laying the blame for this murder at societies feet though, as opposed to the perpetrators.
Jo and one of the ANON's are the only one's with a brain in this "Argument".
This IS a society failure, and there are a lot more of them waiting in the wings. They result from non-family upbringing. Parent's who didn't want them in the first place, or were too busy chasing the "P" pipe, or had to go out to the club and left them alone, or were too busy doing a deal for some KG's of Dak, or ounces of P to sell to support their own cravings - huh Meth- Boy? How's business these days?
Kid's like these are directly OUR Social-throw backs who end up wasted.
If you can't see the forest through the tree's folks you're the one's who directly cause this stuff! New Zealand has a BIG problem - only true family values and positive upbringing is going to solve it!
Once these kids hit prison it's far too late. Once these kids hit 4 years old without some love and attention and positive teaching happening, the road forks and get's VERY rocky from there on.
Not only do we need to lift family values, we need to keep a careful eye on our kid's that are impaired from the start with the variety of social afflictions that abuse and neglect can bring. Fetal Alcohol syndrome, or a number of early learning disorders need to be identified and worked through our social network to correct. Only a caring society is going to create these programs and make a difference for our kid's!
Do you have children Sam?
AB
Yup.
Sam said - Yup.
I'm suprised you think that the familys failure is societies failure then.
What would you suggest doing with a kid like this?
Leave him on the streets with no family support?
Put him in some sort of government care? that he doesn't want to be at,so must be restrained in some way from leaving?
Everyone makes their own decisions in life no matter what their background. Are you trying to say that these young people murdered an innocent man because society made them?
You cannot make bad parents have family values. People have to want their children to succeed in life. Unfortunatley some don't or don't care enough to set an example. Nothing we do is going to change this and throwing huge resources at a problem like this is(at the cost to other societial problems) is not the answer.
AB
They all (well almost all) get out in the end.
In this case he will be out September next year, his sentence ends then so it would be illegal to hold him after that.
It would seem to me that cases like this need open sentences so they can be held un they are ready - this would mean some would get out earlier, some later and a few never.
Unfortunately that system would be open to abuse from the lawyers - who are of course the real criminals.
As for me being to blame for these boy/mans choice to become criminals - well you might be I am not.
I have a son, sadly, like mine, his life has been far from easy. He is a jerk at times but not a criminal. I would be considered a loser (right on that one) and a moron (wrong on that one) by many of the sneering, university classes but I am not a criminal either. Even though I have lived long enough to know that being honest, law-abiding and decent gets most of us nowhere, I just don’t have it in me to be one of them and I suspect they don't have it in them to be decent.
Some people just get a kick out of destroying others, the working class evil become the stereotype criminal and social underclass, the university evil become lawyers and politicians.
Anon, don't stress. You will notice that the people who like to say it is societies fault are usually young men with no children.
The irony is it is usually young men that cause all the trouble.
What a bunch of air-head comments! Who on earth do you think make up society folks - someone other than you and me??? We are society, and when there are a great number of us that let our children down from birth, or abuse them, or pay more attention to our interests than theirs is when this all goes sideways.
You folks are arguing about a class war between professional people with degrees as "Society", and working folks without degrees as some Sub-Society or sonmething weird. You aren't stopping to understand that it's everyone combined that make up our society in NZ.
There are just as many, maybe more kids that come from upper middle class "professional" families that are neglected than in any other segment. They are the ones who grow up to be sociopaths without conscience's that think nothing of ruining other people's lives in the work place, or socially.
Families that have a strong bond and raise their kid's in a nurturing environment are the foundation of a strong society.
So please get off your whiny attitudes and work to strengthen the foundation instead of moaning about where you don't fit into it, and everyone else is picking on you, or you're not to blame for the failures in Society. For God sake, we're all to blame!!! We have to insist on changes from our friends, and neighbor's, and direct our law maker's to strengthen the program's for intervention and attention we give to our kid's that will be a positive force in their younger years to help them walk the path we put down for them as an example.
You know AB - you are one hopeless piece of work, but I think I found part of the reason. You just don't comprehend what you read. You take in a sentence and think you know the answer, then you spout off in completely the wrong direction.
Maybe if you took a little time to think about your responses you could gain some ground with some of these issues you piss all over. It's not a matter of who's right or wrong, it's a matter of what solutions we can derive from sensible discussions.
Yawn, Yeah whatever Sam. Did you see those comments Boomer accuses me of making?
I DON'T THINK SOOOOOOOOOO.
If you weren't such an arrogant,know all,know nothing I might engage you in debate. Sadly you are all those things above therefore only really useful for amusments sake.
Bahahahahaha - I'm a psycho now for calling you a dickhead.
Please!
Maybe you should get out in the real world a little more Sam cause you seem to have serious problems dealing with reality. Possibly you may be so lonely that this is your only communication with real live people, I don't know, but there are plenty of professionals out there that would be happy to help you.
You don't need to be the sad case you appear to be here Sam, you can have a life, you just have to try.
AB
You've had plenty of opportunity to engage in debate AB, but all you seem to be able to do is engage in profane rant' when people don't agreee with your twisted sense of reality.
I rest my case.
I hope Bailey Junior Kurariki gets killed by some thug in prison, maybe with a baseball bat or something similar, that would be poetic justice.
It would be a blessing for society. Maybe they could stick him in with that other guy who got rid of Liam Ashley...he's already doing one lag so why not get two for the price of one?
Wouldn't it just be a better idea if we pressured the Corrections Ministry to change. After all suggesting people are beaten to death with baseball bat's isn't really any solution to this dilemma is it?
There is a lot of change in the wind to move Corrections back under the Justice Department. As long as there is a strong emphasis on all of the links in the chain having to do with imprisonment, rehabilitation, and sufficient oversight in Parole and with the proper funding necessary to make it all come together, the near future should see some positive changes. I see, at least at the moment, a serious effort being put into making changes - hopefully for the better.
I also feel the front end needs to be loaded a little differently toward early childhood prevention and attention. Although in stating that opinion on another post I caught some serious flack from a couple of the more vocal folks here. More personal attack than criticism of the opinion, so it would help to see some other comments here with ideas for workable solutions. Otherwise this becomes an attack site, and anyone with an idea will go elsewhere where the sharks don't circle as tightly
Bailey Kurariki does not deserve to be in jail. He is an impoverished maori from a bad family situation. In his frustration at the submission of his magical culture to the oppression of western capatilism, combined with his own personal situation, he struck out and expressed himself through one of the only avenues open to him.
"Bitter Ex-Prison Staff". I think that the bitter ex-prison staff are bitter for a reason. Many of them had good intentions when they went to work for the public prison service. However, racism and corruption has in many cases left them bitter and twisted.
Whenever the press get involved, they point the finger at the corrections officer on the shop floor. The reality is that the corruption stems from further up the ladder.
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