Hon Judith Collins
Minister of Justice

16 May 2013

$4.4m to expand restorative justice services

Budget 2013 supports the Government’s target of further reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017, Justice Minister Judith Collins says.

The Ministry of Justice has received $4.4 million in operating funding over two years from the Justice Sector Fund to extend restorative justice services by an additional 2,400 conferences by 2014/15.
This will bring the total number of restorative justice conferences to 3,600 each year.

“Research shows participation in restorative justice can result in a reduction in the reoffending rate of up to 20 per cent when compared to offenders who did not participate,” Ms Collins says.

“Restorative justice is also particularly effective at reducing victimisation and repeat victimisation. The 2011 Victim Satisfaction Survey showed 74 per cent of victims who attended a conference felt safer, and 80 per cent would recommend the process to others.

“Expanding on this service will help the justice sector meet the Government’s Better Public Services target of further reducing reoffending by 25 per cent by 2017. Latest results show reoffending is already down by over 8 per cent,” Ms Collins says.

Other Better Public Service targets for the justice sector are to reduce the total recorded crime rate by 15 per cent, the recorded violent crime rate by 20 per cent, and the youth crime rate by 5 per cent, all by 2017.

Results to December 2012 show there has been a 9 per cent reduction in the total crime rate (from 983 to 891 crimes per 10,000 people) and a 7 per cent reduction in violent crime (from 109 to 102 crimes per 10,000 people).

Youth crime is also down 14 per cent (from 332 to 286 per 10,000 young people).

“Significant progress is being made against each of our targets. Fewer people are being affected by serious and violent crime, and fewer criminals are going on to reoffend.

“This Government is delivering a safer New Zealand,” Ms Collins says.

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