Scoop has an Ethical Paywall
License needed for work use Register
Parliament

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

 

Prison Population Down, Violent Crime Up

It should be no surprise that violent crime has increased when the prison population and rehabilitation services continue to decline, National's Corrections spokesperson Simon O'Connor says.

"The prison population has decreased by 24 per cent under Labour. At the same time, violent crime has increased by 21 per cent, and gang membership is up by 51 per cent.

"Labour has an explicit target to reduce the prison population without a plan to reduce crime. This recklessness demonstrates public safety is not a priority for this Government.

"Moreover, data demonstrates a record low number of offences resulted in a prison sentence in the latest year, representing an overall decrease of 44 per cent under Labour. This means that while violent crime has risen, prison is being used less as a tool to remove offenders from circulation and provide them rehabilitation before they return to our communities.

"Despite fewer people being in prison, a record low proportion of prisoners are being provided access to rehabilitation services. In 2017/2018, 52 per cent of prisoners were accessing rehabilitation services. But in 2022 and after five years of Labour, that figure has dropped to just 29 per cent.

"We should be using prisons to hold offenders to account, provide a circuit breaker and address the underlying causes of their offending.

"Instead, Labour's aversion and neglect of our prison system mean worse outcomes for public safety and offenders’ rehabilitation.

“Labour’s performance in corrections is symbolic of their five years in power and a Government that consistently fails to deliver. More money is being spent, but we’re getting worse outcomes.”

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 The Government’s Smokefree Laws Debacle

The most charitable explanation for National’s behaviour over the smokefree legislation is that they have dutifully fulfilled the wishes of the Big Tobacco lobby and then cast around – incompetently, as it turns out - for excuses that might sell this health policy U-turn to the public. The less charitable view is that the government was being deliberately misleading. Are we to think Prime Minister Christopher Luxon is a fool, or a liar? It seems rather early on in his term of office to be facing that unpleasant choice. Yet when Luxon (and senior MP Chris Bishop) tried to defend the indefensible with the same wildly inaccurate claim, there are not a lot of positive explanations left on the table.... More


 
 
Public Housing Futures: Christmas Comes Early For Landlords

New CTU analysis of the National & ACT coalition agreement has shown the cost of returning interest deductibility to landlords is an extra $900M on top of National’s original proposal. This is because it is going to be implemented earlier and faster, including retrospective rebates from April 2023. More


Green Party: Petition To Save Oil & Gas Ban

“The new Government’s plan to expand oil and gas exploration is as dangerous as it is unscientific. Whatever you think about the new government, there is simply no mandate to trash the climate. We need to come together to stop them,” says James Shaw. More

PSA: MFAT Must Reverse Decision To Remove Te Reo

MFAT's decision to remove te reo from correspondence before new Ministers are sworn in risks undermining the important progress the public sector has made in honouring te Tiriti. "We are very disappointed in what is a backward decision - it simply seems to be a Ministry bowing to the racist rhetoric we heard on the election campaign trail," says Marcia Puru. 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.