English criticised for prisons comments
The Sensible Sentencing Trust has criticised Finance Minister Bill English for saying he wants to see fewer prisons being built in New Zealand.
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The Sensible Sentencing Trust has criticised Finance Minister Bill English for saying he wants to see fewer prisons being built in New Zealand.
Mr English made the comments in an interview on TVNZ's Q and A at the weekend when asked if a 1000-bed facility at Wiri in Manukau City would be the last prison built in the Government's tenure.
"I'd hope it's the last prison because they're very, very expensive. $250,000 a bed, $90,000 a year to run it, and when we're tight for money, it would be good if we could have less recidivism, less reoffending, less young people coming into the whole pipeline where they start with a minor offence and end up with a 10-year sentence," Mr English said.
"And the public service has done a lot of very smart work on this, and over the next two or three years, we're going to see the need for prison beds drop a bit at least."
The Sensible Sentencing Trust, which lobbies for tougher penalties for violent offenders, said Mr English's comments had destroyed gains made against crime in the past two years.
"Just as we were starting to see dividends and a reduction in violent crime, English waves the white flag and tells the criminals and their mates it's business as usual," spokesman Garth McVicar said.
"The primary purpose of prison is to protect the public, a job prisons do very well.
"Prisons are not -- and never can be -- a one stop shop to rehabilitate all the misfits created by years of failed social policies."
Mr McVicar said the comments sent a clear message to criminals that the Government had capitulated in the fight against crime.
NZPA
Mon, 23 May 2011
Mon, 23 May 2011
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English criticised for prisons comments
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