We’re setting deportees up to fail

Date: 2 February 2016

“The 30% reoffending rate within 12 months for New Zealanders deported from Australia is hardly surprising” says Dr Katie Bruce, Director of JustSpeak. “In fact, it is in line with the overall reoffending rate of 27.5% in New Zealand”. “What is perhaps more surprising is that this rate is not higher, given that many deportees have little or no support system in New Zealand and are often given a couple of hundred bucks and left to get on with their new life”. Katie Bruce also says that “Leaving deportees to fend for themselves and then complaining that they have the same reoffending rate as they would have had if they had remained in New Zealand, and been imprisoned here, is not an effective strategy”.

If the Government is serious about meeting their target of a 25% reduction in reoffending rates by next June then JustSpeak urges a focus on rehabilitation. Prison by itself is not effective. People leaving prison, or returning from Australian detention centres, need to be supported to turn their lives around and become participating members of their communities. Katie Bruce says “we know that social support systems, secure housing and employment encourage people to lead crime-free lives”.

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