Child abuser in jail for 44 years may be let out

New Zealand's longest-serving prisoner finally has hope of being released, but the prospect has a law and order watchdog worried.

Alfred Thomas Vincent, 74, is in his 45th year in jail and it seemed likely he would die there. By his own admission, Thomas has sexually abused more than 100 children.

A recent Parole Board hearing concluded that "at first blush" it seemed that nothing much had changed, with Vincent still considered a high risk of reoffending - and "things continued to look forlorn for him".

"Suddenly, however, there has been a change," the board said.

The Salvation Army will soon open new premises and is looking to offer Vincent one of the vacancies.

"The offer would be that that accommodation could be available to him for the whole of the rest of his life," the board said.

"The suggestion is that he be on residential restrictions there for 24 hours a day unless there is agreement for him to go on outings. There is support available to him and all the usual attributes of the Salvation Army would also be available."

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar said he could not be convinced that the Salvation Army could keep people safe from Vincent.

"It's not about him. It's about protecting the public and any future victims," Mr McVicar said. "He's had his chances to turn himself around. I don't think we can rehabilitate him. We just have to accept that. If he dies in prison, so be it."

Howard League for Penal Reform spokesman Jarrod Gilbert agreed that public safety was paramount.

"But if those concerns can be countered, I think as a humane society and a society that treats [Vincent] better than he treated his victims, we need to see if there is something there for him," Mr Gilbert said. "Prison isn't equipped to be an old folks' home, as it were."

The Parole Board said the proposal to release Vincent into the care of the Salvation Army was new "and there may or may not be some merit in it in Mr Vincent's very difficult situation".

The board will reconsider parole for Vincent, or the possibility of postponing some future annual hearings, when it meets again in August.