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Prison is creating criminals according to a crime lobby group.
Kim Workman from Re-thinking Crime and Punishment told TV ONE's Breakfast that Bill English's stance on prisons is the right one, even if it is for the wrong reasons.
English told TVNZ's Q+A yesterday that there will be no more prisons built under his watch as finance minister .
He has called prisons a moral and fiscal failure and said there are other ways of dealing with criminals and potential criminals.
Workman agrees, saying that sending people to prison is just "deferring the problem".
"What we are doing is sending people into prison and creating criminals really, we're sending the young people for short periods, which is just a bad idea, all the evidence shows when you put somebody into the system that way they are more likely to become career criminals down the line."
Workman said there are 5-7% of criminals in prison today who should probably never be released because they are "dangerous and a threat to the community".
But he said 70% of the people in prison will be released within six months and they are the group we should be looking at.
"They sit there in the prisons and do nothing, they are not there long enough to do proper programmes and they could easily be dealt with in the community," he said.
Workman suggests that using electronic bracelets, work programmes and paying reparations to victims would be better alternatives.
"One of the things people say is we're sending you to prison so you can be accountable, well, they are not accountable to anyone. Because they sit there and are directed what to do, they don't make any decisions about their lives.
"In the community, if they have to confront their victims, then I think there is a greater chance they will understand the impact they have on other people," he said.
English said running prisons is expensive.
"$250,000 a bed, $90,000 a year to run ... when we're tight for money," he told Q+A.
He said the aim instead is to reduce recidivism, and prevent young people from entering the system at all.
Workman says the government is on the right track by taking a strong stance on prisons.
"It's the right direction, for the wrong reason in a way, I mean there is a fiscal necessity to reduce the budget for prisons, but there is also a moral issue."
He said he doesn't agree with the Sensible Sentencing Trust's idea that English is giving up on prisons and waving a white flag.
"Just as they were starting to bear fruit through the 'tough on crime' message that they were sending out, he capitulates and waves a white flag," Sensible Sentencing spokesman McVicar told ONE News.
"It just sends the wrong message to criminals. I know people think criminals are dumb but they're quite smart and they'll understand if we're not going to build more prisons out there, then ultimately we're not going to send them to prison."
But Workman says no.
"Firstly there are a lot of people who have been institutionalised by the prison experience and that's just turning them into non productive citizens."
Criminals are more likely to reoffend and victimise after being in prison, he added.
Convincing the public will be difficult, Workman said, adding: "that is why we need more public debate".
"Take it out of political arena and get the parties together and
start to have a properly constructed, long term criminal justice
strategy."
What do you think? Do we need more prisons? Have your say
on the messageboard below.
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Add a Comment:
Post new commenthifromnz said on 2011-05-30 @ 15:42 NZDT: Report abusive post
And quite a few are in prison because there is nowhere suitable for them to serve a community based sentence. One example, a 17 year old who does not have any drug problem but is of marginal intelligence, whose family can not have him safely at home. There is not one place he can go. We need alternative establishments - drug and crime free. Some with rehab facilities, some with a degree of supervision and support for people like him. Far less expensive than prison.
hifromnz said on 2011-05-30 @ 15:35 NZDT: Report abusive post
Community based options are not a "light option". Some people sentenced to home detention ask to go to prison because HD is just too hard. Some others ask to go to prison because they are part of an inmate power structure there as gang members, or they have a "job" to do there - and young inmates are recruited or abused. Sentences outside prison are not only cheaper but also stop the perpetuation of crime. Not often I agree with Bill.
caring citizen said on 2011-05-24 @ 13:22 NZDT: Report abusive post
Prisoners are a moral and fiscal failure so why keep building them. Why don't we look at some overseas examples where governments have made a definite aim to reduce numbers in prison. Crime has not increased as a result. Rehabilitation of most prisoners is possible . There are some great organisatuions such as Prisoners Aid doing an amazing job supporting prisoners pre and post release with very limited resources.
Paul E said on 2011-05-24 @ 10:56 NZDT: Report abusive post
I
KiwiAardvark said on 2011-05-24 @ 05:54 NZDT: Report abusive post
At last, a politician with the guts to talk sense rather than pander to emotion. New Zealand used to be proud of making a better, more caring, society. Let's return to that ideal. Even Rob Muldoon wanted to keep people out of prison. For all his faults he'd fought in the war and knew what poor and disadvantaged people were like.