This is a global problem we have with killers on the loose that are court sanctioned to attend Alcoholics Anonymous, Narcotics Anonymous, Cocaine Anonymous and Sexaholics Anonymous. Not only do we have sexual predators and violent felons mandated to attend 12 step programs, but killers are not excluded either. The powers that be think it is okay to promote children and teens to come to 12 step programs that have no safety guidelines at all?
Minimum security maximises the risk of killers on the loose
Behind bars … Trent Jennings will face court next week.
TRENT JENNINGS – a killer absolved of his crime because of the demons in his head – is not alone. Almost all the 385 forensic psychiatric patients found not guilty by reason of mental illness have committed acts of extreme violence and even killed.
Most are held in high-security facilities, but almost 100 live in relative freedom in the community through rehabilitation programs; others are housed with minimum security where they are often not directly supervised. Mr Jennings, 26, was one of these.
In the past two years, seven have absconded – four from Morisset Hospital, where he was housed.
He was free to travel unescorted to nearby Newcastle for TAFE classes, Narcotics Anonymous meetings, AA meetings, gay support groups, and even the gym.
When he didn’t show, the NA and AA meetings stayed true to their name and kept mum. So did the gym, giving Mr Jennings the freedom to stroll into government offices to apply for a passport and get a driver’s licence.
Killer AA member on the loose-