Convicted assaulters released for counselling

by Lisa Morrison

May 7 , 2008

TWO prison inmates, convicted of violent assaults, were recently released on parole to attend counselling that was not available in gaol.

Cathy Kezelman, of Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse, told eMU news she was concerned about the shortage of rehabilitative services, which increasingly were seeing prisoners released short of their original sentences.

“The reality is that there is a dearth of these treatment programs in prisons Australia wide”, Dr Kezelman said. “It is terrible that there are not available treatment programs in WA prisons.”

Richard Kickett, 33, was released on parole on May 1, after serving five years of a six year sentence for eight assault-related charges.

On November 19, 2002 Kickett stabbed his then girlfriend in the arm and leg, and bit and punched her. He also struck his three-year-old son.

While in gaol, Kickett attacked and stabbed another inmate, spat at a prison officer and as recently as January last year assaulted a public officer. In July 2007, Kickett was considered for parole, but the Prisoners Review Board deferred a decision to “allow him to undertake appropriate treatment programs”.

Such treatment never occurred, with the Board acknowledging between July and his release this month, Kickett was “not offered the opportunity of programmatic intervention”.

Kickett was released, partially because he was “unlikely to be included in any program which would address his offending behaviours before 2009”.

eMU news called the Prisoners Review Board, but media officer Lee Bateman declined comment, saying board chair Judge Valerie French would not be commenting either.

However, a news release on the board’s website showed lack of counselling services was been raised in December at Greenough Prison, and in February in Albany.

“The Board’s primary responsibility is to manage risk in making decisions about the release of prisoners into the community ...,” the statement read. “This will not be achieved with prisoners languishing in a custodial facility.”

In a similar manner to Kickett’s release, Terrance Bice (26) was released on parole on March 13, after serving less than three years of a five year sentence for grievous bodily harm.

In 2005, Bice threw his three-year-old daughter on the floor after she would not stop crying [eMU News, Outrage over infant hurler’s release, April 1, 2008]. As a result, she suffered serious, permanent brain damage.

While in prison, Bice was not able to complete counselling because of “prison management requirements and the availability of an appropriate program,” the Board decision showed. In February, the Board released Bice partially because it thought he would benefit from a domestic violence program not available in gaol.

“In situations like these, there is an obvious concern for the public at the risk of a repeat offender who has not received appropriate care, being released back into the community”, Dr Kezelman said.

Kickett has been accepted by Curtin University to commence a Visual Arts degree next semester. eMU news tried calling WA prisons minister Margaret Quirk, but she was unavailable for comment.