Prisoner's boasting ends home furloughs [1]
Monday, December 23, 2013 - 20:30. Updated on Tuesday, December 24, 2013 - 10:13.
A Hu'atolitoli prisoner who posted on Facebook her delight in being freed for weekends - only weeks after she was sentenced to three years and four months imprisonment, has had her prison furloughs suspended after a formal complaint was made to Tonga's penal system.
The Commissioner of Prisons, Sione Falemanu said today, December 23, that the prisoner Tafolosa Bloomfield had been allowed weekend furloughs to be with her children.
“It was not for her to tell everyone in Facebook or to go out shopping and to show people that she was in and out of jail… So from now on Tafolosa's furlough has been suspended," he said.
Mockery
Two imprisoned embezzlers, Tafolosa M. Bloomfield and Fangatua Fakava, who were both spotted out and about in Tongatapu on different occasions, unaccompanied by prison officers, were making “a mockery of the criminal justice system,” said Ralph Stephenson, a lawyer for their victims, who lodged a formal complaint to the Commissioner of Prisons on December 18.
“A number of our clients have contacted us expressing concern that it appears that prisoners at Hu‘atolitoli Prison, who have been convicted of quite serious criminal offences, are being granted ‘leave’ from the prison to go home on weekends, or attend family functions, or to run errands for prison officers,” he stated in the letter, which was copied to Tonga's Minister of Police, the Attorney General, the Police Commissioner and the judge who sentenced the pair.
Stephenson, who represented Forum Travel Ltd. in the recent trial, called for a thorough investigation to be made of the outings.
“In October of this year Ms. Bloomfield was convicted of serious charges of theft and embezzlement (involving six figure sums) from her employer, Forum Travel, following a two week trial in the Supreme Court before a jury with Hon. Justice Cato presiding.
“Ms Bloomfield was sentenced by Judge Cato to imprisonment for a term, as I understand it, of some three - four years, with part of that sentence suspended. It now appears that, less than two months later, Ms. Bloomfield is being granted leave from her judicially imposed sentence to go home for the weekend,” Stephenson complained.
Bloomfield was sentenced on 24 October to three years four months imprisonment.
Fakava, who changed to a guilty plea, was given a lesser sentence on September 6.
Shocked
“Airport employees who had worked with Mr Fakava at Forum Travel were shocked to see him at the airport, apparently free and unaccompanied by prison or police officers,” said Stephenson, who believed that the prisoner was permitted time off from his sentence to go to Fua‘amotu International Airport and farewell a family member on an overseas flight recently.
“We have also been advised that last week Mr. Fakava came to the offices of Kingdom Travel (formerly Forum Travel), again unaccompanied and unattended, to pick up airline tickets for one of the prison officers,” he said.
Bloomfield on her first weekend furlough on November 29 and again on December 18 went on Facebook to thank everyone who had prayed for her. “…Bless to be at home again this weekend with the family…I trust you will all have a great weekend ...God Bless you all!” she posted.
Objected
Stephenson wrote to the Commissioner of Prisons, that if the weekend furlough were towards the end of Bloomfield's sentence “with a view to re-integration with her family and society generally, then it is possible that the practice might be less objectionable, but coming, a mere two months following her sentencing, it really does seem to make something of a mockery of the criminal justice system."
“It must also be said that Ms. Bloomfield cannot have had the best interests of her children in mind when she committed the offences of which she has now been convicted. … ‘if you can’t do the time, then don’t do the crime’,” stated Stephenson.
Regretted furloughs
The Commissioner of Prisons, Sione Falemanu told Matangi Tonga today, that he had not received Ralph Stephenson's letter, but he had a discussion with the Minister of Police, and the Attorney General over Stephenson's concern.
He regretted what happened to Bloomfield's furlough and said that he had a long discussion with her. He did not have access to Facebook but he queried why Bloomfield had to publicize the fact that she was allowed to go and see her children and husband.
The Commissioner of Prisons said that the weekend furlough was allowed only for mothers who were in prison, "we do not give it to every one, but only for those whom we think occasionally should go and visit their children and husband."
He said that Bloomfield had been a very good prisoner, and was serious about religion. "Her husband and the children visited her every weekend, and in my own judgment, for the well being of Tafolosa, her children and her husband I allowed her to be with her family during one weekend in a month.
"It was not for her to tell everyone in Facebook or to go out shopping and to show people that she was in and out of jail, it was genuinely for her to be with her children and husband. So from now on Tafolosa's furlough has been suspended," he said.
The Commissioner of Prisons said that he was well aware that there was going to be a public reaction to the program but he genuinely believed that he was doing the right thing. He said it was better for the children not to come to the prison every weekend, where eventually they might begin to feel comfortable and normal, but rather for Tafolosa to visit them at home once a month, to keep the children out of the prison.