Swain Ducks 'Honesty Box Punishment' Questions
ACT Justice Spokesman, Stephen Franks, said that Corrections Minister Paul Swain's evasion of questions in Parliament
today about his department's handling of people who don't show up for community work sentences, shows he knows the
community work sentence is becoming `honesty box justice'.
"A few truly remorseful mugs pay the price for their crimes as ordered by the court. The rest know the Government
thinks that only mugs believe in punishment or truth in sentencing. They know that officials are too frustrated to
punish everyone who decides not to get out of bed for community work.
" Only where brave souls are still trying to enforce the rules can the community be confident that a community work
sentence means what it says.
"The law must mean what it says. It should never be worth not showing up on time," Mr Franks said.