25 June 2007

Time To Admit The Emperor Has No Clothes

Once touted as being “world leading”, New Zealand’s youth justice system is failing to address our youth crime epidemic and it is time the Government urgently addressed the systems failings, says New Zealand First law and order spokesman Ron Mark.

Mr Mark today released further answers to parliamentary questions showing the number appearing in the Youth Court has increased by 130 percent since the youth justice system was set up.

“Research shows 83 percent of young offenders are diverted away from the formal Youth Court process. Thus, the Youth Court only deals with the top end of youth offending, often as a last resort. Given this, such a large increase in the number of offenders at the Youth Court is of great concern,” said Mr Mark.

“By the time youth are appearing in the Youth Court, many have been in the system for long enough to know there are no consequences for their offending. Far from discouraging offending, our current system reinforces that fact.

“The unfortunate reality is that the leniency shown by the youth justice system is precisely what is entrapping young people in a life of crime, resulting in their predictable incarceration in adult prisons as soon as they become adults.

“It is time self serving and self promoting youth justice officials took off their blinkers and admitted the emperor has no clothes. Our once “world leading” youth justice system is now failing our country and it is time the situation is urgently addressed,” said Mr Mark.

ENDS

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