The National Party has risked losing the criminal vote with the release of their Law and Order policy. Murderers and thugs will hardly be impressed with the plans to scrap parole to any criminal convicted of any violent offence attracting a prison sentence of five or more years. National are even suggesting that any murderer sentenced to life imprisonment will stay in prison for life.
I'm referring to the ones that haven't been caught yet. Sensibly, prisoners in jail for terms of three years or more, lose the right to vote.
Labour made a strong pitch to woo them back with the observation that it has already stiffened sentencing and parole laws and, as a consequence, the prison muster has risen by 71 per cent, or 3300 prisoners. A statistic they claim comes from prisoners serving longer sentences.
Although Labour apparently don't care about the prisoners per se, just the damage it does to New Zealand's image as a South Pacific Socialist Paradise (SPSP). Cabinet minister Phil Goff restated on TV One's Agenda programme yesterday that New Zealand had one of the highest prison populations in the Western world.
This gets raised often on the left wing blogs, as if this in itself is a greater crime than the murders that put people in prison. But what does it really mean? Well, the left have been arguing the latest serious crime stats are actually falling (debatable). Yahoo, they say. All is good in New Zealand. Well, if you take the view that serious crime is falling, then here's the justification - more people in prison. The very thing they don't want to agree to.
The thing is though, the point about high prison population is a bad one to make when discussing crimes of repeat violence. Letting such people out early isn't going to make NZ safer, and it will not reduce crime. We can reduce the prison population by looking at non-violent criminals, our rehabilitation programs and a whole bunch of other factors. It needn't be an either/or proposition.
At a time when we are seeing Dairy owners killed or wounded by senseless violence, and other diary owners charged by police for "over-reacting" when they or their family are stabbed or attacked during robberies, this all sounds hollow.
Recently, the police have proven that a citizens right of self defence will be tested with long and expensive court cases for the victims (I can think of three cases right now).
Thus, National's policy sends a strong message that one government party is moving beyond empty rhetoric and concern only for what the United Nations might think. It could resonate well with voters. Well, the non-criminal ones at least.
Related Link: Life with National
Related Link: Stephen Franks pleased with Policy Release
Related Link: Deadly force in self defence
I'm referring to the ones that haven't been caught yet. Sensibly, prisoners in jail for terms of three years or more, lose the right to vote.
Labour made a strong pitch to woo them back with the observation that it has already stiffened sentencing and parole laws and, as a consequence, the prison muster has risen by 71 per cent, or 3300 prisoners. A statistic they claim comes from prisoners serving longer sentences.
Although Labour apparently don't care about the prisoners per se, just the damage it does to New Zealand's image as a South Pacific Socialist Paradise (SPSP). Cabinet minister Phil Goff restated on TV One's Agenda programme yesterday that New Zealand had one of the highest prison populations in the Western world.
This gets raised often on the left wing blogs, as if this in itself is a greater crime than the murders that put people in prison. But what does it really mean? Well, the left have been arguing the latest serious crime stats are actually falling (debatable). Yahoo, they say. All is good in New Zealand. Well, if you take the view that serious crime is falling, then here's the justification - more people in prison. The very thing they don't want to agree to.
The thing is though, the point about high prison population is a bad one to make when discussing crimes of repeat violence. Letting such people out early isn't going to make NZ safer, and it will not reduce crime. We can reduce the prison population by looking at non-violent criminals, our rehabilitation programs and a whole bunch of other factors. It needn't be an either/or proposition.
At a time when we are seeing Dairy owners killed or wounded by senseless violence, and other diary owners charged by police for "over-reacting" when they or their family are stabbed or attacked during robberies, this all sounds hollow.
Recently, the police have proven that a citizens right of self defence will be tested with long and expensive court cases for the victims (I can think of three cases right now).
Thus, National's policy sends a strong message that one government party is moving beyond empty rhetoric and concern only for what the United Nations might think. It could resonate well with voters. Well, the non-criminal ones at least.
Related Link: Life with National
Related Link: Stephen Franks pleased with Policy Release
Related Link: Deadly force in self defence
There's an easy way tofree up space in prison--release those convicted of victimless "crimes".
ReplyDelete