Labour’s focus on reducing the prison population irrespective of crime rates is evident in the latest statistics on convictions, National’s Justice spokesperson Paul Goldsmith says.

Criminal conviction and sentencing statistics released by the Ministry of Justice today show the total number of offences increased by over 5,000 cases in 2022, while youth crime increased by 14 per cent.

“Earlier this week Police figures showed a 46 per cent increase in the total number of victimisations of crime since 2017. But today’s figures from the Ministry of Justice show imprisonment sentences have fallen around 45 per cent over the same timeframe,” Mr Goldsmith says.

“The only clear signal Labour have sent to the justice sector is the goal of reducing the prison population by 30 per cent. This was reinforced by repealing the Three Strikes legislation.

“Under a National Government, the clear priority will be public safety.

“Today’s youth prosecution statistics overall continue to show few consequences for serious offending.

“National has proposed extra tools for dealing with serious repeat youth offenders, such as the Young Serious Offender category and military academies as a sentencing option.

“National will also crack down on gangs by banning gang patches, stopping gangs gathering in public, and accessing firearms, and stopping offenders associating with each other.

“New Zealanders are increasingly worried about safety in their communities. National will restore law and order so New Zealanders feel safe again.”

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