Simon Davies, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Clare-Ann Fortune, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington; Karen Salmon, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington, and Linda Fatialofa, Te Herenga Waka — Victoria University of Wellington
Evidence shows the links between punishment, discipline and behaviour change are weak at best. Good rehabilitation has a therapeutic focus – but this is less popular with politicians and the public.
With a series of high-profile cases in the news, parole is back in the spotlight. Let’s unpack some of the most common misconceptions about what parole really means.
Prison is far from a home away from home, and offenders get very little time to put their affairs in order after sentencing. More time to adjust for life on the inside would be humane and practical.
One way to break the cycles that return offenders to prison is through the way society treats ex-offenders, providing them with basic human needs such as employment.
Training restaurants housed inside prison walls and staffed by inmates are reducing recidivism rates and winning praise from diners overseas. Should we try them in New Zealand?
The majority of women in prison have committed minor, non-violent crimes. But a large number have committed violent offences such as assault, homicide and robbery.
Mirko Bagaric, Swinburne University of Technology and Dan Hunter, Swinburne University of Technology
If we are serious about rehabilitating prisoners and reducing reoffending, then education and integration back into the community are vital. Today, internet access is essential to achieve that.
Victoria is failing in relation to rehabilitation of prisoners and post-release support. The consequence is that more people are imprisoned, more often.
Approaches to crime that rely on punitive methods have proved to be ineffective and counter-productive. Rehabilitation programmes not only prevent crime, but are cost-effective and practical.
We simply don’t know how many prisoners are released each year, nor their demographic characteristics. As a result, we cannot tailor services that would reduce ex-prisoners’ risks of re-offending.
Some claim rising crime rates justify jailing more people, others that such policies cut crime. Evidence from around the world shows those claims are wrong and that we should be looking at inequality.