Wilson has plenty of company

The release of serial sex offender Stewart Murray Wilson to the grounds of Kaitoke Prison has raised serious concerns, not just for the nearby Wanganui community, but for the whole of New Zealand. While some high-profile Wanganui representatives may mean well, these representatives need to ensure they do not portray Wanganui in a bad light to the rest of the country. Wanganui is not a hick town with lynch-mob mentality baying for blood, which was unfortunately the impression given at recent public meetings.

Caution and thought needs to be given to this predicament. Wilson is not the first, nor will he be the last, piece of excrement to be released back into society. While NZ courts may be able to impose minimum non-parole periods, they cannot lock criminals up forever. Sooner or later they must be released. There will be more of these low-lifes in the near future - Barry Alan Johansen, James Tamata, Malcolm Rewa and Teina Pora - who represent the worst of the worst, are also due for release. Where will they go?

When low-lifes such as these leave prison, they rarely have any wealth, they struggle to find work and usually end up living in low-cost areas so their unemployment benefits go further. That makes places like Wanganui, where it is fairly inexpensive to live compared to many towns, and close by a prison from where many are released, a likely spot for these low-lifes to end up.

However, it is not the likes of Wilson that citizens particularly need to be concerned about.

Given his high profile and the public disgust for him, he would have to be moronic to venture into town and face the threat of being recognised and attacked by some outraged citizen.

What New Zealanders need to be concerned about are the released sex offenders and murderers who have already infiltrated their way back into society; the low-lifes no one knows, or even where in town they live.

On this note I have had personal experience. If it was not for an observant and concerned local police officer (also a neighbour) warning me, one of my children would have been at great risk from a former sex offender who had befriended my unknowing ex-wife. This low-life was offering to take one of my children to events that were particularly exciting to a child. Believe me, these people are cunning and manipulative - we got lucky we found out in time.

During the years there have been calls for a national sex offenders register. Although the Sensible Sentencing Trust operates such a list, information is limited and relies on the public, not government officials, for information. There is no official government register available, and even if it were to be compiled, it is unlikely that it would be made available to the public due to fears of retribution.

Many would agree that criminals deserve a second chance and, after all, some criminals do rehabilitate, seeking to live on the straight and narrow and live an honest life.

Consider, then, the recidivist rates in New Zealand, which are interesting reading. The Corrections Department says: "The re-imprisonment rate for all released prisoners within five years is 52 per cent", and also "The reconviction rate of Adult Sex Offenders (54 per cent) is significantly higher than that of child sex offenders (30 per cent)."

If there is some consolation in the Wilson case, adult sex offender recidivist rates drop to 7 per cent for those over 50 years of age.

So, what can society do with the worst of the worst; the Stewart Murray Wilsons and the Malcolm Rewas of this world?

Perhaps the safest place for the released convicts themselves, and for communities such as Wanganui, is to have centres such as Miracle Park, which is a 24-acre religious community outside Pahokee, Florida.

This community was created by Richard Witherow, a church minister, who has worked in prisons for more than 30 years. This community caters for more than 65 released sex offenders and is about 5 kilometres from city limits, surrounded by cane fields. When Pahokee residents first became aware of Miracle Park's existence there was a public outcry, as has been the case in Wanganui. Yet, as Pahokee Mayor James Sasser said to me: "Everything has died down quite a bit. It is my understanding that several of the residents have been arrested again for various issues. But the overall effect has been minimal".

While releasing Wilson to the grounds of Kaitoke Prison or to some community like Miracle Park might cater for the worst of the worst, it does not protect society from other deviants living among the community already. This is the issue New Zealand needs to focus on and the question that needs to be asked is: Do New Zealanders have the right to know if their neighbours have serious past convictions? Without this knowledge it is difficult to be vigilant and protect our families.

Steve Baron is a political commentator. He holds a BA degree in Political Science and Economics. He is an author, a regular columnist in publications throughout NZ, the founder of Better Democracy NZ, a former businessman and a Waipa mayoral candidate.

Feedback to: stevebaron@hotmail.co.nz