Wednesday, 8 June 2005
Alexander: Where's prison programme accountability?
The Government is undermining prison employment rehabilitation - "the best means of stopping prisoners from returning to
jail" - while at the same time throwing money at re-integrative services that don't work, United Future law and order
spokesman Marc Alexander said today.
In tackling Corrections Minister Paul Swain at today's law and order select committee meeting, Mr Alexander revealed
that inmate employment initiatives have fallen by 14 percent to $30.4 million at the same time reintegration services
will cost taxpayers 9 percent more ($47.2 million) in the coming year.
"It makes no sense to undermine work in prison since it is probably our best hope of stopping criminals from
reoffending.
"And does this reintegration work? Well, not only do 86 percent get reconvicted within five years, but one reintegration
service, Pillars, has, as Mr Swain admitted, refused to publish an audit of its work, despite costing large sums of
taxpayers' money for five and a half years.
"The Minister conceded that an audit had been done but described it as 'not good'. I think its time we let taxpayers who
have funded this misadventure see where their money has been misspent! Let us assess it for ourselves.
"These are public funds and there needs to be public accountability," Mr Alexander said.
"I have been waiting for this audit for two years! Now we have proof that this Government's softly-softly 'let's talk it
over' re-integrative approach simply doesn't't work and now they are trying to hide it," he said.
ENDS