Hon Judith Collins
Minister of Corrections
17 June 2011

Kim Workman is wrong and he should know better, says Corrections Minister Judith Collins.

Ms Collins was responding to comments made today by Mr Workman in which he again claimed that recidivism rates rose from 55.4 percent in 2005 to 61.9 percent in 2010.

“What Mr Workman is deliberately not saying is that the 61.9 percent figure he is quoting is from the Department’s 2009/10 Annual Report and is the number of prisoners who re-offended in the two years following their release from prison,” says Ms Collins.

“This means that these prisoners were released in the 2007/08 financial year.

“I am very concerned that Mr Workman, a former senior public servant, is unable to understand this very simple concept.”

Ms Collins says that since 2008, the National-led Government has invested heavily in increasing the amount of rehabilitation in our prisons.

“There are now record numbers of prisoners involved in drug and alcohol treatment, undertaking employment training and learning to read and write.

“While we do need to remain cautious, the levelling off of the prison population is a clear sign that, along with other initiatives in the justice sector, this work is beginning to pay off.

“The full impact of this increased amount of rehabilitation will be seen over time when these prisoners have finished their sentences and they are released back into the community.”

Ms Collins says she is surprised by Mr Workman's comments given he has long advocated for increased rehabilitation in prisons.

“Kim Workman should be celebrating that the prison population is beginning to stabilise rather than trying to score cheap political points.

“If anyone is playing games with statistics it is Mr Workman.”

ENDS

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