Benedito segregated: Fiji Corrections

July 13, 2013 | Filed under: Fiji News | Posted by: newsroom
Source: FIJI CORRECTIONS SERVICE

A lot of ill-based information has been reported recently about incarcerated inmate Ioane Benedito, who is currently serving time for escaping from lawful custody.

He was being remanded for aggravated robbery on March 6, 2012 when he escaped.
Benedito is currently segregated at the Maximum Corrections Centre as a result of escaping from the Suva Corrections Centre on November 18, 2012.

It must be made clear that a lot of public resources were used including manpower, time, physical resources and finances for the recapture of Benedito and his accomplices.

These were resources that had to be diverted from worthwhile Government priorities.

This aspect of their treatment within, must be understood particularly on having breached their conditions for being held in custody.

After all he was in custody for an offence committed against society.

Under the circumstances, visitation for Benedito was thus denied to him according to our rules and this applies across the board.

It is therefore unfortunate that his mother should complain about visiting him now.

She should have been part of the effort to have Benedito give himself up when his accomplices were apprehended.

While we fully appreciate his mother’s care for her child, we will continue to be pragmatic in the conduct of our work in dealing with violations of our rules.

Otherwise, we will be sending the wrong signals to our inmates, which would have much wider implications on our security.

Benedito is now serving a sentence of 12 months after being convicted in January 2013 for escaping from lawful custody, damaging property and resisting arrest.