Prisoners’ jolly an ill-thought-out idea

There is no doubt that the five men spotted taking a hike in the Mourne Mountains and then strolling on the busy Newcastle promenade were brutal killers. At their separate trials — four of which involved the murder of women — the judges recommended that they should serve very lengthy minimum terms.

The tariffs handed down — Kenneth McConnell was told to serve at least 18 years; William Moore 17 years; William Mawhinney 12 years; Gerard O’Kane 14 years and Sui Ching Wong 18 years — were a reflection of the heinous nature of their crimes.

Indeed if they were to serve those full terms, it would be some time yet before they would be released.

And the relatives of those they killed naturally expect that they should serve those periods. Prison, first and foremost, is a punishment for crimes committed, although it is accepted, as the Prison Service contends, it is also a place of rehabilitation if possible.

It has also to be accepted that getting the balance right between punishment and rehabilitation is a delicate operation. Ronnie Armour, director general of the NI Prison Service, goes to great length in this newspaper today to justify these killers’ day out, saying it is part of a rigorous testing system to see if they are suitable for release and what measures can be taken to help them reintegrate back into society.

But he dismisses the concerns of the public, especially the relatives of those killed, in a sentence — “I can understand why there would be opposition to this” — and that really does not do justice to those who rightly baulk at the sight of ruthless killers given a jolly day out.

As a victims’ group points out in this newspaper, those who were murdered will never get another chance at life and a lifetime of grief for their bereaved relatives really does mean a lifetime. There is no parole for them, or test that they can pass, to allow them to put the past behind them.

While Mr Armour is sincere without doubt in stating that prisoners who are given pre-release testing undergo rigorous risk assessment, there have been occasions when prisoners were released for various reasons and failed to return until recaptured.

No system is infallible especially when dealing with prisoners who in the past have demonstrated cunning and ruthlessness. The public would rather the Prison Service erred on the side of caution when making release decisions.