The Tongan courts in January will start placing offenders on probation under the care of the Ironman Ministry, according to Probation Officer, Hene Telefoni of the Ministry of Justice.

Hene spoke at a gathering to mark the completion of additional four new rooms to the residence of the Ironman Ministry at Ngele'ia. He said that there was no law yet that sets out the procedure for a probation service, but a judge has the authority to direct how the probation service of an offender should be served. A decision has been made to place an offender on probation in residence with the Ironman Ministry, which would then administer his community service.

Sione Koloamatangi, the founder of the Ironman Ministry expressed his appreciation that the judiciary recognised the service.

Sione said that it helps to remove an offender from his troubled environment and place him in residence in an institution where he will be counselled and assisted to get back into a normal life. "It will take sometime for a person to get himself out of a hole that he has fallen into. He didn't just fall into a hole, it took him some time to find himself in such a situation, and it will take him some times to get out of it."

Since the Ironman Ministry was established and registered as a NGO a year ago Sione has established his base at Ngele'ia where there is an office and accommodation for four people.

Sione said that the ministry was created to help deportees who had just arrived in Tonga to adjust to their new lives in the Kingdom. "But now Ironman is not only for deportees, we are reaching out to assist those who are neglected, disadvantaged and the vulnerable people in the Tongan society."

On December 20 they opened an expansion of the residence with an additional four rooms, funded by E. M. Jones who donated $2000.

Sione said that the main sources of funding for his operation came from the British High Commission, the Australian High Commission, donations that his mother sent him from the USA, and 10% of the salaries of two deportees who are living in while adjusting to their new life in Tonga. "Funding remains to be a major concern, and now that we have started providing residence for people on probation, we need a vehicle to take them to where they have to do their community service."

Sione said that they will need a bigger place soon because putting first offenders and jueveniles on probation sentence was a better alternative then just throwing them into jail, together with hardened criminals.