The Reading / Listening - Jail Sentence - Level 5

An error in the prisons system in Samoa saw a man being incarcerated for five years longer than his sentence. Sio Agafili, 45, should have been released from prison in 2015 after serving two jail terms. In November 2008, he was convicted of burglary and theft and sentenced to seven years. A month later he was found guilty of other crimes and got a five-year sentence. The default procedure in Samoa is that a convict with two sentences must serve them together and not consecutively. A judge recently spotted the error when Mr Agafili appeared in court on another charge.

In a newspaper interview, Mr Agafili described his anguish at spending too long in jail. He said: "It's broken me into a million pieces. No one told me when my jail term would end. I lost count of the days....I just know I had to serve my time behind bars." His lawyer Muriel Lui told reporters about the injustice suffered by her client. She said: "He's been imprisoned unlawfully. I've heard of other cases of a similar nature. This is not the first of this type." She added: "His right to liberty has definitely been breached." Ms Lui said she would try to get compensation for her client.

Try the same news story at these levels:

    Jail Sentence - Level 4 or  Jail Sentence - Level 6

Sources
  • https://www.rnz.co.nz/international/pacific-news/420724/samoa-man-jailed-for-5-years-too-long
  • https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jul/08/no-one-told-me-samoan-man-serves-five-more-years-in-prison-than-he-had-to
  • https://www.samoaobserver.ws/category/samoa/66126


Make sure you try all of the online activities for this reading and listening - There are dictations, multiple choice, drag and drop activities, crosswords, hangman, flash cards, matching activities and a whole lot more. Please enjoy :-)

Phrase Matching

Paragraph 1

  1. An error in the prisons
  2. incarcerated for five years
  3. convicted of
  4. The default
  5. a convict
  6. serve them together and
  7. A judge recently
  8. Agafili appeared in court on
  1. not consecutively
  2. burglary
  3. another charge
  4. system in Samoa
  5. spotted the error
  6. longer
  7. with two sentences
  8. procedure

Paragraph 2

  1. Agafili described his
  2. I had to serve my time
  3. the injustice suffered
  4. He's been imprisoned
  5. I've heard of other cases of
  6. This is not the first
  7. His right to liberty has definitely
  8. try to get compensation
  1. a similar nature
  2. been breached
  3. anguish
  4. for her client
  5. by her client
  6. unlawfully
  7. of this type
  8. behind bars

Listening — Listen and fill in the gaps

An error in (1) ___________________ in Samoa saw a man being incarcerated for five years longer (2) ___________________. Sio Agafili, 45, should have been released from prison in 2015 after serving (3) ___________________. In November 2008, he was convicted of burglary and theft and sentenced to seven years. A month later he was (4) ___________________ other crimes and got a five-year sentence. The (5) ___________________ Samoa is that a convict with two sentences must serve them together and not consecutively. A judge recently (6) ___________________ when Mr Agafili appeared in court on another charge.

In a newspaper interview, Mr Agafili (7) ___________________ at spending too long in jail. He said: "It's broken me into (8) ___________________. No one told me when my jail term would end. I (9) ___________________ the days....I just know I had to serve my time behind bars." His lawyer Muriel Lui told reporters about the (10) ___________________ her client. She said: "He's been imprisoned unlawfully. I've heard of other cases of (11) ___________________. This is not the first of this type." She added: "His right to liberty has definitely been breached." Ms Lui said she would try to (12) ___________________ her client.

Put a slash (/) where the spaces are

AnerrorintheprisonssysteminSamoasawamanbeingincarceratedforf
iveyearslongerthanhissentence.SioAgafili,45,shouldhavebeenrelea
sedfromprisonin2015afterservingtwojailterms.InNovember2008,h
ewasconvictedofburglaryandtheftandsentencedtosevenyears.Amo
nthlaterhewasfoundguiltyofothercrimesandgotafive-yearsentenc
e.ThedefaultprocedureinSamoaisthataconvictwithtwosentencesmu
stservethemtogetherandnotconsecutively.Ajudgerecentlyspottedt
heerrorwhenMrAgafiliappearedincourtonanothercharge.Inanewspa
perinterview,MrAgafilidescribedhisanguishatspendingtoolonginjail.
Hesaid:"It'sbrokenmeintoamillionpieces.Noonetoldmewhenmyjailt
ermwouldend.Ilostcountofthedays....IjustknowIhadtoservemytime
behindbars."HislawyerMurielLuitoldreportersabouttheinjusticesuffe
redbyherclient.Shesaid:"He'sbeenimprisonedunlawfully.I'veheardo
fothercasesofasimilarnature.Thisisnotthefirstofthistype."Sheadded
:"Hisrighttolibertyhasdefinitelybeenbreached."MsLuisaidshewouldt
rytogetcompensationforherclient.

Student survey

Write five GOOD questions about this topic in the table. Do this in pairs. Each student must write the questions on his / her own paper. When you have finished, interview other students. Write down their answers.

(Please look at page 12 of the PDF to see a photocopiable example of this activity.)

Discussion — Write your own questions

STUDENT A’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student B)

(a) ________________

(b) ________________

(c) ________________

(d) ________________

(e) ________________

(f) ________________

(g) ________________

(h) ________________

STUDENT B’s QUESTIONS (Do not show these to student A)

(i) ________________

(j) ________________

(k) ________________

(l) ________________

(m) ________________

(n) ________________

(o) ________________

(p) ________________

Free writing

Write about this topic for 10 minutes. Comment on your partner’s paper.

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Answers

(Please check your answers against the article above.

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