Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
Work smarter with a Pro licence Learn More
Parliament

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | Video | Questions Of the Day | Search

 

Govt ensures a prisoner first Corrections system

Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis has created a culture of leniency in our prison system which puts prisoners ahead of victims and public safety, National’s Corrections spokesperson David Bennett says.

“New Zealanders confidence in Corrections will rightly be eroding after revelations that dangerous prisoners with extreme views have been able to send inflammatory letters.

“The alleged Christchurch gunman is arguably the most high-profile and dangerous prisoner New Zealand has ever seen. New Zealanders should have been able to assume that Corrections, under the guidance of their Minister, would have ensured every interaction he had was recorded.

“The alleged gunman’s letter, sent to a Russian address, that set off this train of events reinforces the attitude of the Government. Whether it’s giving prisoners the right to vote, to being on the side of prisoners in their assaults on prison officers, the Government has set a culture of acceptance of prisoner demands and a lack of authority in the system.

“New Zealanders will be surprised to hear that the man accused of killing 51 people is allowed outside daily to exercise, is delivered a range of news articles each day, and is allowed visitors and phone calls.

“We’ve now heard that another white supremacist prisoner had also been an active writer publishing his intolerable views. Overseas advice given to Corrections on how to manage such situations hadn’t been followed.

“The Minister is responsible for this culture. It is his creation. Instead of being vigilant in this high profile case, we have seen the opposite. We have seen a culture of the prisoner is right and not the system. This fundamentally reflects the Minister’s view that no one should be in prison. He has repeatedly said he wants fewer prisoners, but has no plan to reduce crime.

“The Government has tried to cover up the failures over the past few days with apologies, unnecessary law reforms and dumping of information. There are laws already in place that Corrections should have followed but didn’t.

“The Minister can apologise all he wants but it won’t fix his settings of a prisoner friendly Corrections system.”


Advertisement - scroll to continue reading

Are you getting our free newsletter?

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.

© Scoop Media

Advertisement - scroll to continue reading
 
 
 
Parliament Headlines | Politics Headlines | Regional Headlines



Gordon Campbell: On Dune 2, And Images Of Islam


Depictions of Islam in Western popular culture have rarely been positive, even before 9/11. Five years on from the mosque shootings, this is one of the cultural headwinds that the Muslim community has to battle against. Whatever messages of tolerance and inclusion are offered in daylight, much of our culture tends to be hostile to Islam when we’re sitting in the dark, with popcorn.
Any number of movie examples come to mind, beginning with Rudolf Valentino’s role (over a century ago) as the romantic Arab hero in The Sheik...
More


 
 


Government: One-stop Shop Major Projects On The Fast Track

The Coalition Government’s new one-stop-shop fast track consenting regime for regional and national projects of significance will cut red tape and make it easier for New Zealand to build the infrastructure and major projects needed to get the country moving again... More

ALSO:


Government: GPS 2024: Over $20 Billion To Get Transport Back On Track
Transport Minister Simeon Brown has released the draft Government Policy Statement (GPS) on Land Transport, outlining the Coalition Government’s plan to build and maintain a transport system that enables people to get to where they need to go quickly and safely... More

ALSO:

Government: Humanitarian Support For Gaza & West Bank

Winston Peters has announced NZ is providing a further $5M to respond to the extreme humanitarian need in Gaza and the West Bank. “The impact of the Israel-Hamas conflict on civilians is absolutely appalling," he said... More


Government: New High Court Judge Appointed

Judith Collins has announced the appointment of Wellington Barrister Jason Scott McHerron as a High Court Judge. Justice McHerron graduated from the University of Otago with a BA in English Literature in 1994 and an LLB in 1996... More

 
 
 
 
 
 

LATEST HEADLINES

  • PARLIAMENT
  • POLITICS
  • REGIONAL
 
 

InfoPages News Channels


 
 
 
 

Join Our Free Newsletter

Subscribe to Scoop’s 'The Catch Up' our free weekly newsletter sent to your inbox every Monday with stories from across our network.