Ankle bracelets for prisoners

PARLIAMENT yesterday wrapped up discussions on a bill allowing convicts out of jail with ankle bracelets.

According to the Chairman of the House Legal Affairs Committee, Ionas Nicolaou of DISY, the measure will apply to prisoners who are serving a sentence of three months up to four years, and they will have to have served at least half of their sentence.

Nicolaou explained that inmates will only be allowed to converse in specific areas, such as their home or workplace, and they will be monitored electronically in the form of an ankle bracelet.

If they violate any of the conditions under which they were released, they will be tracked down and sent back to prison.

“This will make it easier for former convicts to reintegrate in society,” said Nicolaou, adding: “But the government also needs to prepare specific programmes to help them.”

The new law, if passed by the Plenum next Thursday, will not apply to all prisoners, as the DISY deputy explained. Rapists, paedophiles and domestic violence offenders will be excluded from the law.

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