Convicted murderer and rapist promotes Government-backed program allowing pre-release prisoners to umpire amateur footy
EXCLUSIVE: A convicted murderer and rapist has been used to promote a State Government-backed program allowing pre-release prisoners to umpire amateur football games.
A CONVICTED murderer and rapist has been used to promote a State Government-backed program allowing prerelease prisoners to umpire amateur football games.
Corrections Minister Peter Malinauskas was left red-faced on Saturday after promoting the program at Thebarton Oval, where three prisoners and two recently-released prisoners were goal or boundary umpires for amateur league grand finals.
Mr Malinauskas was unaware one of the umpires presented to the media had committed murder and rape.
The offences occurred interstate almost 30 years ago and he was serving out the remainder of his sentence in SA.
But Mr Malinauskas backed the program, including its use for serious criminals approved by the Correctional Services Department, saying the government was committed to strategies that would help reduce the reoffending rate from 46 per cent.
He said only prisoners deemed low-risk were given the chance to take part in the program, similar to other day-release work.
“Some of the acts that people are in jail for are appalling and egregious (but) courts make decisions about sentence length,” he said.
“The task for Corrections and the government is to do everything we can to prevent people from reoffending. This is about reducing the risk to the community.
“Even the worst crims, if they want to give back to the community, then that’s a positive.”
Mr Malinauskas said the Channel 9 Adelaide Football League had approached the government about establishing the program.
It served a dual purpose of helping prisoners nearing release adjust to community life while filling a shortage of umpires.
About 10 prisoners took part this year and he wanted the program to expand next year.
“I want to see prisoners giving back to the community in a positive way, not creating more victims,” he said, adding it was pleasing some of the prisoners had chosen to keep umpiring after their release.
The prisoner told the Sunday Mail the scheme, which involves weekly training sessions, provided “a sense of achievement but also a sense of being accepted back as a normal person, which is good”.
“You feel a bit like an alien when you move back into the community; it’s a bit daunting at first,” he said. “This is a stepping stone.”
Earlier, league CEO John Kernahan said the league was not privy to details about participants’ criminal history.
