Justice J F Nagle (Deceased)
Photo 1997 – The Border Mail, Albury NSW
“It is wrong to say that one purpose for which offenders are sent to prison is to rehabilitate or cure them? They are sent to prison by courts on behalf of society for the simple purpose of punishment”.
Justice Nagle 1978.
Royal Commissioner into New South Wales Prisons
Convicted sex offender Arthur Alliband was this week sentenced to a further two years and ten months following yet another sex offence against a young girl. He had previously been convicted of sex offences against a 14 year old girl. To make matters worse, the current offences for which he was convicted, had been carried out on his way home from being released on parole from Parklea Prison, a Gaol that I knew well having worked as a Senior Assistant Superintendent at Parklea Prison.
Most common sense psychologists agree that there is no rehabilitation for sex offenders. Justice Nagle was the controversial Justice who presided over the Royal Commission into New South Wales Prisons in the late 70’s. Since then, the Prison system has gone to “pot” so to speak. Yet Justice Nagle made the very strong statement quoted above in his Royal Commission findings in 1978. Parole in itself is a failure, in particular for violent crimes, drug related offenses and in particular sex offenses. Perhaps it’s time to change the name from NSW Department of Corrective Services to NSW Department of Prisons to enable the “do-gooders” to have it clear in their head, that these people are placed behind the high brick walls and razor wire for the simple purpose of punishment. We need our Governments to stand up and protect the public from these individuals who continually commit crimes against our most vulnerable in society. The Government and courts “just don’t get it”, and shame on them.
To read more on my thoughts about rehabilitation, read my latest eBook, Australia’s Best Prison Stories, available on Amazon.
This I believe.
Peter T Egge
