Sensible Sentencing Trust
sst.org.nz
The Waikeria Prison riot was in the headlines again last week with cabinet signing off on $1.3 million of compensation to prisoners whose property was damaged in the riot.
It was clear that without the Labour government even realising it they demonstrated the way they prioritise offender’s rights and considerations, whilst only paying lip-service to the thousands of victims of crime.
The fact that overnight over a million dollars was approved as a payout to these prisoners, because Minister of Corrections Kelvin Davis said ‘it was the right thing to do’, and yet victims of crime battle through the justice system to get a pittance of reparation from offenders – if any. It highlights the gulf between the way the system is set to deal with victims and the way it favours treatment of offenders.
The real point is that through the system if an offender is ordered to pay reparations for a crime, the victim often sees very little if any payments. Often seeing just a few dollars a week – which doesn’t even touch the sides of the financial loss they endured at the hands of the offender. If this was the same approach that was applied to the prisoners who lost their property, the rioters would be paying reparations for the damage. So why have taxpayers forked out for this payment? Why the special treatment?
This would be frustrating and an insult to many victims who won’t ever see a cent through court-ordered reparations.
This situation actually highlights the flaw in the current process. The Trust has a policy that it has been promoting that would see victims paid reparations directly from the ‘Proceeds of Crimes Fund’. Then the offender will pay the government back the reparation payments until it is paid off. This would avoid the non-payments and the meaninglessly small sums being paid out weekly to victims which don’t bring justice or reparation at all.
A good question to Kelvin Davis would be whether he believes this is the ‘right thing to do’.
“…The announcement that prisoners are now going to ‘receive compensation for a crime that’s been committed’ is a slap in the face for the many thousands of victims of crime who struggle to get a cent of reparation from those very offenders who sit in that prison, says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust…”
thebfd.co.nz
“…The Government is set to pay $1.35 million in ex-gratia payments to prisoners and Corrections’ staff following a riot at Waikeria Prison over the New Year…”
tvnz.co.nz/one-news
More corrections-based issues arose throughout the week with more violence in our prisons with Kelvin Davis finally signing off on some sort of plan to tackle the problem. The issue is that there is no real focus on prisoner behaviour in the government’s plan. It all focuses on PPE, training for officers, and more hugs and cups of milo.
The Trust has been pushing for harsher penalties for prisoners who assault officers – which the Corrections Association has also been demanding for years from the government. Unfortunately, neither the government’s plan, nor the National Party alternative, has any mention of increasing penalties.
We can’t keep treating offenders with kid-gloves. At the very least surely the government can see that this simply hasn’t been working for the four years they have been in control.
“…The Corrections Association must be apoplectic having to constantly address this same issue month after month in the media. The issue of increasing numbers of assaults on prison officers is not a new one and has been headline news for at least the past four years. The story hits the headlines every couple of months not only because the problem isn’t going away, but because the numbers of assaults keep hitting new highs. As you may recall the latest iteration of this issue a month ago, involved the Association President contemplating a vote of no confidence in the Minister of Corrections Kelvin Davis…”
thebfd.co.nz
“…The National Party’s ‘five-point plan’ to curb the rise in inmates assaulting prison officers doesn’t go far enough and continues to ignore the Corrections Association’s plea for the introduction of harsher penalties, says Darroch Ball co-leader of Sensible Sentencing Trust…”
thebfd.co.nz
Do you feel safe?
“…Gang activity in Napier has led to locals being far more fearful about their safety than they used to be.
Stuff
A survey of 597 local people, undertaken in February, has revealed that 44 percent of locals felt the city was not a safe place to live. That compares to just 17 percent last year, and 19 percent in 2019…”
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