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

Gordon Campbell | Parliament TV | Parliament Today | News Video | Crime | Employers | Housing | Immigration | Legal | Local Govt. | Maori | Welfare | Unions | Youth | Search

 

Prisoners Need Therapy – Yeah Right!

Prisoners Need Therapy – Yeah Right!

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has slammed comments by a drug councillor that prisoners need therapy and says it would be a good Tui Bill Board promotion – but a disastrous Corrections policy.

Drug councilor Roger Brooking, author of ‘Flying Blind’ was critical of National’s hard-line approach saying that Corrections needed to switch to therapy.

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman, Garth McVicar said Brooking was totally out of touch with reality.

“Is Mr. Brooking so blind that he cannot see the huge increase in violent crime since New Zealand moved from punishment to therapy and rehabilitation?”

“Mr. Brooking is of an age that he will remember when a crime was a crime and offenders were punished for breaking the law – not given therapy. He will know that the move to rehabilitation rather than punishment is precisely the reason for the ballooning crime and prison rates.”

Mr. McVicar said that actions must have consequences. “The consequence of committing crime these-days is the offender will be given every consideration by the Courts, including discounts for an ‘early’ guilty plea and then be handed a community based sentence with absolutely no consequences if not abided by. The system has become a joke and the offenders know it!”

“The mamby-pamby therapy model that Mr. Brooking is promoting has been tried and failed. We need to accept that it is a failed social experiment and get back to some basic tried and proven values such as, accountability, boundaries, consequences and discipline.”

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.

“The fact that two thirds of prisoners have drug and alcohol problems is not the fault of Corrections or prison; it is the fault of the individual who made a deliberate choice to take the drugs or alcohol.”

“The excuse driven ‘therapy’ model that Mr. Brooking is promoting knows no bounds and will simply line the pockets of those offering the ‘treatment’.”

“I imagine councilors such as Mr. Brooking will also disagree with Nationals policy of beneficiaries having to undergo drug tests or face their benefits being cut off.”

There are some who see welfare as a taxpayer funded gravy-train but in reality it has destroyed a lot of lives while creating a lucrative livelihood for the ‘therapists’.”

Mr. McVicar said most people will see Nationals ‘drugs-or-dole’ policy as sensible.

ENDS

© Scoop Media

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


Gordon Campbell: On The US Opposition To Mortgage Interest Deductibility For Landlords


Should landlords be able to deduct the interest on the loans they take out to bankroll their property speculation? The US Senate Budget Committee and Bloomberg News don't think this is a good idea, for reasons set out below. Regardless, our coalition government has been burning through a ton of political capital by giving landlords a huge $2.9 billion tax break via interest deductibility, while still preaching the need for austerity to the disabled, and to everyone else...
More


 
 

Government: Concerns Conveyed To China Over Cyber Activity
Foreign Minister Winston Peters has confirmed New Zealand’s concerns about cyber activity have been conveyed directly to the Chinese Government. “The Prime Minister and Minister Collins have expressed concerns today about malicious cyber activity... More

ALSO:


Government: GDP Decline Reinforces Government’s Fiscal Plan

Declining GDP for the December quarter reinforces the importance of restoring fiscal discipline to public spending and driving more economic growth, Finance Minister Nicola Willis says... 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.