High-risk offenders regularly released into community, inquest told
By Adam Burns of RNZ
High-risk offenders - similar to the threat posed by the man who murdered Juliana Bonilla-Herrera - are regularly being paroled from prison and into the community, a senior Corrections staff member says.
The comments came as the coronial inquest into the Colombian woman's death continued in Christchurch on Tuesday.
Bonilla-Herrera was stabbed to death by Joseph James Brider in January 2022, just 10 weeks after he was released from prison to a unit next door in Addington.
Coroner Alexandra Cunninghame heard further evidence from Corrections' staff, all of whose identities remain suppressed, during the second day of proceedings.
This included Brider's probation officer, who broke down during the early stages of their testimony.
Earlier, a senior Corrections case manager gave evidence in court.
The experienced staffer acted as an intermediary between the department and community reintegration services when Brider's release was being planned for in 2021.
Counsel assisting the coroner Rebekah Jordan asked the witness about efforts to secure Brider a bed at the Salisbury Street Foundation (SSF) rehabilitation centre in 2021, including approving the arrangement before a June hearing with the New Zealand Parole Board.
Due to uncertainty that the SSF centre would have a bed for Brider, alternative accommodation arrangements were sought.
A referral to the centre would ultimately be cancelled by the department.
The Corrections staff member said there was a shortage of suitable accommodation options, exacerbated by the "unavoidable" closure of a community provider at that time.
"Whether that was a factor, I believe it played a part in terms of them being unable to confirm bed availability, because there was still people coming in and going and they were trying to juggle where they were at," they said.
During follow-up questions, Corrections lawyer Pip Currie asked generally about the release of parolees.
"In terms of Mr Brider and his risk, he was seen as a high-risk offender, are other high-risk offenders also being released into the community?"
"Yes," they replied.
"People with higher needs than Mr Brider, in terms of what was seen as the risk?" Currie followed.
"I would have to say yes."
The witness added there was not enough intensive support services like the SSF centre in the community.
Earlier in the day, Brider's case manager faced further questions after beginning their evidence on Monday.
When Jordan asked if they would have done anything differently in hindsight, they said it was a "difficult question to answer".
"I don't think anyone knew that this would've happened. The circumstances of his offending wasn't within the risk profile we were working with."
Cunninghame allowed the family, who were again dialled in via audio-visual link from overseas, to ask questions of witnesses.
Through interpreters, Bonilla-Herrera's sister Saray Bonilla asked both witnesses whether - "from a human perspective" - they considered it necessary to warn neighbours of the possible danger.
Both times Cunninghame intervened, explaining this was beyond scope of the witnesses' role in proceedings.
Later Brider's probation officer was called to give evidence.
Visibly upset, the witness expressed their condolences to the Bonilla-Herrera family as they began their pre-written statement,
The court heard how the probation officer was alerted via email the day after Bonilla-Herrera was murdered that Brider's curfew arrangements had not been correctly logged.
"I did not know it hadn't been loaded into the system."
Despite this, the officer continued to carry out daily checks as if it had been correctly entered.
They also explained growing concerns about their client following his release, particularly due to the fact Brider was no longer to be housed at the SSF centre.
"I already knew he we was high risk because Salisbury Street is where our high risk offenders go to. So the fact that was indicated, that he was supposed to go to Salisbury Street, made me hyper-aware.
As a result, they explained they would need to take on "a lot more oversight" for Brider.
The witness will resume their evidence on Wednesday.
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