Reducing Recidivism

It is a fact that the vast majority of inmates in New Zealand prisons are repeat offenders or are future repeat offenders. UnitedFuture is committed to working with NGO organisations to reduce the rate of recidivism in New Zealand. This does not mean that we are soft on crime, rather that we have identified a number of initiatives that if successfully implemented can have a significant effect on lowering the number of repeat offenders in our prisons, thus lowering the amount of crime that takes place within our communities.

UnitedFuture’s position is to:

• Support the development of a multi-party accord on crime with the aim of shifting political debate to issues of fact and the reasons for New Zealand’s high rate of recidivism. This to be undertaken in conjunction with organisations including The Salvation Army and the Prison Fellowship.
• Make drug and alcohol rehabilitation courses compulsory for inmates who have been identified with drug or alcohol addictions.
• Make literacy programs compulsory for those inmates who have been identified with literacy problems. This is an effort to more successfully integrate inmates back into society upon release.
• Increase minimum non-parole periods for violent offenders and those who commit serious sexual crimes.
• Introduce tougher minimum penalties for child abuse and neglect, child sexual offences and child pornography.
• Concurrent sentences are not to be a default position. Judges to use their discretion to recommend concurrent or non-concurrent sentences.
• Make suitable employment and accommodation integral components of the parole process. One of the major causes of recidivism is the lack of opportunities available to inmates once they leave prison. Financial stability, job prospects and adequate accommodation are prerequisites for ‘a new start’.
• Multiple violent and sexual offenders will not be eligible for bail.
• Deny home detention for violent offenders, drug dealers, and child abusers.
• Introduce minimum sentences that more accurately reflect the nature of offending, the impact on victims, and the social denunciation of crime.
• Ensure that discretion exercised by judges in sentencing reflects the circumstance of the crime rather than the circumstances of the offender.
• Encourage the use of creative and individualised parole provisions (e.g. curfews, weekend detainment, community work) to assist in the rehabilitation of the offender.
• Ensure that there is less of a disparity between the sentence given and that which is actually served. This will most practically be done by reducing the length of the sentence but extending the non-parole period from one-third of the sentence to two-thirds. The effect of this will be greater public certainty over the length of time inmates will spend in prison.
• Make treatment programmes compulsory for all sex-offenders.
• Ensure that parole conditions for sex offenders include monitoring, curfews, residential assessments and ongoing treatment.
• Leave the order imposed by the Youth Court for offenders to attend community-based rehabilitation (e.g. child sex offender programmes) up to the judge’s discretion. Formerly this was set at a maximum of six months.