Urgent parole law reforms needed

An urgent review of parole laws is needed to stop skyrocketing re-offending rates by criminals on parole, says National's Law and Order spokesman, Tony Ryall.

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has launched a campaign today calling for parole to be abolished.

Mr Ryall says that the Government is failing to put enough effective resources into ensuring parole is properly monitored.

"55% of people on parole re-offend within two years and 86% re-offend within five years. These shocking re-offending rates and the brutal crimes being committed by people on parole are causing justifiable public outrage.

"The Government has also cut the minimum period of time criminals must serve before they can get parole. In New Zealand today we have the shameful situation where a rapist sentenced to nine years can get parole after only three years.

"The public should be protected from the Taffy Hotenes of the world. Instead, the Government's parole system is putting innocent people in dangerous situations," says Mr Ryall.

© Scoop Media

Gordon Campbell: On the Sony cyber attack

Given the layers of meta-irony involved, the saga of the Sony cyber attack seemed at the outset more like a snarky European art film than a popcorn entry at the multiplex.

Yet now with (a) President Barack Obama weighing in on the side of artistic freedom and calling for the US to make a ‘proportionate response’quickly followed by (b) North Korea’s entire Internet service going down, and with both these events being followed by (c) Sony deciding to backtrack and release The Interview film that had made it a target for the dastardly North Koreans in the first place, then ay caramba…the whole world will now be watching how this affair pans out. More>>