Criminals Can Mend Their Ways
Media Release
15 December 2000
CRIMINALS CAN MEND
THEIR WAYS
Experience gained from the first 12 months
of trialling new offender help called Turnaround Waimakariri
has achieved outstanding success and is a credit to those
involved claimed Ron Mark MP and spokesman for Law and Order
for New Zealand First.
“With the benefit of this valuable experience and very successful outcome Turnaround can be recommended for extension to other areas within New Zealand,” said Mr Mark.
“Turnaround has been trialled in 3 pilot areas of Timaru, Waitakere and Waimakariri. The Waimakariri result with which I am most familiar, was greater than may have anticipated with a low re-offending rate of just 3.6%. This holds tremendous hope for the future of many thousands of young New Zealanders.
“I commend Mr John Banks, Turnaround Co-ordinator for Waimakariri, and his team for their remarkable success and their dogged determination to take on such onerous tasks I also urge the Police Minister, Hon George Hawkins, and his Justice colleague, Hon Phil Goff to find the funding to expand the programme as quickly as possible,” concluded Mr Mark.
Ends.