Corrections boss Barry Matthews should take a leaf from the Parole Board chairman

Parole Board chairman Judge David Carruthers says he feels personally responsible for the death of Karl Kuchenbecker, the man killed by Graeme Burton.

Note that he didn't say he felt personally accountable, nor did he say why he paroled Burton after so much opposition to the request for parole, and when the parole board knew before making its decision that Burton had breached his parole conditions. Apparently, however, the board would have been unaware that the police had warned the Correction's probation service to recall Burton. That's because Correction's staff didn't even bother to tell the Parole Board.

Corrections boss Barry Matthews should be speaking up on it. He's not and has stated publicly that he will refuse to investigate prison irregularities. Why doesn't he state publicly that he feels responsible for his departmental staff not communicating sufficient information to the Board that may have swayed the decision and all the other stuff thats going on.

I`ll tell you why. He doesn't feel responsible. He doesn't want people to know what's going on in his department. He also wants as many people paroled as possible to keep the prison population down. Now the Government has to step in and meet Matthews instead of ordering useless reports because Matthews refuses to take accountability for his own department.

He's gutless, totally gutless. He should stand for Labour at the next election.