Senator Tucker On Offender Treatment Options
“It is concerning that Bermuda‘s prison system still lacks a secure forensic unit to hold and treat high risk, mentally ill violent/sexual offenders,” Opposition Senate Leader Robin Tucker said.
Senator Tucker said, “While the Mid-Atlantic Wellness Institute [MWI] has a secure unit, if a person has committed an offence against a member of staff, it is unlikely that they can receive services onsite.
“This is understandable, as no one should feel unsafe when carrying out their duties, but it begs the question: what then happens to offenders who are in need of treatment from MWI?
“How many offenders will serve two-thirds of their sentence and be released without adequate treatment?
“Although steps have been taken to protect the public by issuing alerts when high risk violent/sexual offenders are released from prison, what is needed is proper sentencing with increased consultation from service providers.
“We also must ensure that mandated housing requirements are in place as a condition of release, with improved monitoring for all high risk violent/sexual offenders.
“In the best interest of the public, and the sex offenders themselves, it should be mandatory for all sex offenders to complete programmes which will contribute positively to their rehabilitation.
“While progress is being made, there is still a long way to go. We must ensure that everything that can be done, is. Everything must be done in order to prevent future abuse and victimization of any of our people.”
