Hon Damien O’Connor
Minister of Corrections

25 July 2007 Media Statement

Changes in Criminal Justice Reform Bill makes sense socially and financially – O'Connor

New community sentences being introduced as part of the Criminal Justice Reform Bill will allow people convicted of lower level offences to repay their debts to society in a more productive way, Corrections Minister Damien O'Connor said today.

Parliament passed the bill last night.

The Corrections Department's Community Probation and Psychological Services is recruiting 300 additional staff to implement the new sentences, and to add extra support to its overall operations, including the management of existing Community Work and Supervision sentencing options. The new sentences include:

- Home Detention as a stand alone sentence

- Community Detention – an electronically monitored curfew, and

- Intensive Supervision – a largely rehabilitative sentence in which probation officers work closely with offenders to access courses and services in the community.

Mr O'Connor said the prison population is now more than 8000 and this is unsustainable for a country the size of New Zealand.

"Nothing will change for serious criminals and repeat offenders for whom prison will always be the only option, but the new sentences will give judges greater options to deal with those who have committed lower level offences.

"The community benefits because keeping lower-end offenders out of prison in the first place means they are less likely to commit serious crimes later on.

"It also makes financial sense. It costs on average $69,000 to keep each prisoner locked up every year, which for people who have committed less serious crimes is money which would be better spent on hip operations or new teachers.

"And forcing these kinds of offenders to repay their debt to society in the community means they do not pick up bad habits from other prisoners, they are able to hold onto their jobs, and their children do not suffer as a result."

The sentences will become available for judges to use after October 1.

Mr O'Connor said the Effective Interventions package, which the Bill gives effect to, funds two new drug and alcohol treatment units in prisons, and two special treatment units to deliver a 300-hour rehabilitation programme for high risk offenders. These are shown to improve community safety by reducing the chances of re-offending, Mr O'Connor said.

A third extra drug and alcohol unit and a third special treatment unit are to be self-funded by the department. In total, by the end of next year, there will be six drug and alcohol units, offering more than 500 six-month-long places each year to prisoners.

"Most of these offenders eventually come out of prison. The Labour-led Government is determined to do everything possible to rehabilitate offenders to steer them away from creating more victims when they do. This Bill recognises that we all benefit from lower re-offending rates."

The Corrections Department is already implementing a number of programmes aimed at rehabilitating and reintegrating prisoners – including boosting the number of work and training opportunities in prison and increasing the level of support for offenders when they are returned to the community.

In addition, the Corrections Department is working with other agencies such as the Social Development Ministry and the Tertiary Education Commission to roll out further initiatives for offenders in the community, and access to training in life skills for those sentenced to Community Work.

ENDS

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