DA rejects scrapping of criminal records

Nom Chompsky

Nom Chompsky

High Tory
Joined
Mar 6, 2004
Messages
54,616
Reaction score
39,465
Location
Cape Town
DA has common sense

The Democratic Alliance has rejected a call for a blanket scrapping of criminal records of ex-offenders.

"As much as we support rehabilitation and reintegration of offenders into society, the state must be very careful about scrapping the criminal records of those who committed grievous crimes," said DA justice spokesperson Sheila Camerer on Monday."

The DA's rejection comes amid a planned campaign by Golden Miles Bhudu, leader of the SA Prisoner's Organisation for Human Rights, to mobilise government and NGOs to do away with "stigmatising ex-offenders with a criminal record tag" and give them jobs.

"What can they do while a tag which describes them as criminals is still attached to their names?" Bhudu asked.
Click to expand...

One more step towards a totally dysfunctional state. And who the hell created such a joke of an organisation. "Criminal" and "Human rights" is an oxymoron.

I wonder where the Law-abiding Citizens Human Rights organization is?
 
There is a good case for scrapping a record after a certain period during which a person has not been arrested, convicted or suspected of a crime. This would be abused I'm sure, as the police often take things very personally and will probably sometimes fabricate reasons to arrest a person so their record is not cleared. However it is likely that some people who have actually stopped committing crimes will have a better chance of improving their situation without an old record following them around.

You could even have it such that someone who has not committed any crime for 10 years has their record cleared, but if at some time they do commit a crime they get a new record that can never be expunged.

Consider is it reasonable at 40 to still have a record following you around if you fell in with the wrong crowd and committed a single burglary at age 18?

How long and whether your record can be cleared should depend on how many and what type of crimes you committed.
 
noxibox said:
How long and whether your record can be cleared should depend on how many and what type of crimes you committed.
Click to expand...
So what were you in the clink for then? Do tell :)
 
A prisoner might reform and get an education but fail to get a job just because of a criminal record, in such instances he might reconsider crime as a means of making a living. There is a valid case for scrapping criminal records based on some conditions.
 
Angelo said:
A prisoner might reform and get an education but fail to get a job just because of a criminal record, in such instances he might reconsider crime as a means of making a living. There is a valid case for scrapping criminal records based on some conditions.
Click to expand...

Agreed - after a certain period (5-10yrs) the slate should be wiped clean - debt paid. A criminal record reflects disroportionately badly on a person - especially if they've already done their time. Certain categories of crimes such as especially violent or sexual offences should be excluded from expungement.
 
Surely a criminal record is one of the greatest detriments of crime? Yes you carry it around your whole life - but weren't you informed at a very young age that crime is wrong - and you have a criminal record for life? Remove the deterrent and increase crime - simple. Positive family values should instill a loathing of crime - but now we want to excuse, ignore it - like so much else. Who cares, who's counting?
 
quote: "What can they do while a tag which describes them as criminals is still attached to their names?" Bhudu asked."

methinks is would have been MUCH MUCH wiser to ask this of yourself BEFORE committing a crime...

I mean, as far as I am concerned, THAT is part of the punishment.
 
Angelo said:
A prisoner might reform and get an education but fail to get a job just because of a criminal record, in such instances he might reconsider crime as a means of making a living. There is a valid case for scrapping criminal records based on some conditions.
Click to expand...

I'd only consider scrapping records if the crime committed - such as shoplifting - doesn't harm someone else and the values of goods stolen don't amount to much. Also they must carry the criminal record for 10 years minimum.

As kilo rightly pointed out - a crime is a crime and everyone knows it's wrong. There's only so much a person can do to reform a convicted criminal.

Something that also worries me is that some people who get Presidential Pardons return to prison in such a short space of time, no matter what the crime is.
 
noxibox said:
However it is likely that some people who have actually stopped committing crimes will have a better chance of improving their situation without an old record following them around.
Click to expand...
A bit irrelivant - but a week or two ago I attended a talk by Andrew Brown, author of Coldsleep Lullaby, avocate, apartheid activist and police resurvist (very interesting guy)

He mentioned how pre-1990 he was convicted of disturbing public peace (or something like that) - and that caused problems for him when trying to gain membership of the bench.... but the point is that he applied for a 'pardon' of sorts considering the 'crime' was commited during the struggle, and so far they havn't gotten around to it

so if they can't manage to apartheid activists records how are the going to manage the rests?
 
It is International custom to provide criminal record information on a person should that person require to enter a country for the purpose to use that country for a certain purpose. Yes ex terrorists that were so called freedom fighters cannot enter certain countries. It is the host country’s prerogative to decide on allowing a person into their country. Some current government officials have been refused entry and some have been allowed. Nelson Mandela has no problem on his criminal record. Mac Bride has a problem due to his blowing up of a bar in Durban where people was killed.
Can you employ a highjacker as a Metro Police person? A pedophile as a school teacher? An embezzler as a credit controller?
A drug dealer as a pharmacy assistant?
The issues around a criminal record is far outweighed by the social impact if it is scraped.
What about the rapists that go on raping while on bail?
The criminal record can only be cleared by a person proving he/she has been rehabilitated. It is called trust. But if that trust is broken the next employer is aware.
 
Angelo said:
A prisoner might reform and get an education but fail to get a job just because of a criminal record, in such instances he might reconsider crime as a means of making a living. There is a valid case for scrapping criminal records based on some conditions.
Click to expand...

Absolute rubbish. A criminal is a criminal. If he "reconsiders" crime for a living, he should be punished, again and again.
 
noxibox said:
You could even have it such that someone who has not committed any crime for 10 years has their record cleared, but if at some time they do commit a crime they get a new record that can never be expunged.
Click to expand...
No. :mad: I have not and never will commit a crime. If you choose to commit a crime then you must know that if you get caught then your life is done with. It's your choice to commit a crime or not. We hardly have any reasonable deterrents for criminals committing violent crimes, so why start with a system now that will let people off the hook. F**k that.

:mad: :mad:
 
reech said:
Agreed - after a certain period (5-10yrs) the slate should be wiped clean - debt paid. A criminal record reflects disroportionately badly on a person - especially if they've already done their time. Certain categories of crimes such as especially violent or sexual offences should be excluded from expungement.
Click to expand...

I disagree. The record should remain, but be dated at the least, as well as what the crime was that was committed. This way you give the potential employer the discretion to decide on the information at hand. Furthermore, whose the debt been paid to? Prisoners don't work (it's unconstitutional). They should be forced to do community service along with their jail time.
 
Angelo said:
A prisoner might reform and get an education but fail to get a job just because of a criminal record, in such instances he might reconsider crime as a means of making a living. There is a valid case for scrapping criminal records based on some conditions.
Click to expand...

NO. There is no prisoner reform. The only education a prisoner picks up in prison is how to be a better criminal, particularly in todays prisons. There is NO valid case for scrapping criminal records. Date it and indicate what it was for. That's it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top
Sign up to the MyBroadband newsletter
X