Judith Collins. Photo / NZPA
A new $3.8 billion justice fund will be created to pool together the money from all of the sector's agencies and allow funding to be redirected to high-priority areas, today's budget revealed.
Justice Minister Judith Collins said the total operating budgets of Corrections, Courts, Justice, Police, Serious Fraud Office, and
the Attorney-General would be combined under a Justice Sector Fund.
"This is the first time a funding pool of this kind has been used in the public sector," Ms Collins said. "It recognises the critical relationships across the criminal justice 'pipeline' - from arrest, through the court process, to sentencing and rehabilitation."
The fund would encourage chief executives to prioritise their resources, and give them a way to redistribute, or gain money for their most important goals. If one sector made savings in a low priority area, the saving could be reinvested elsewhere, such as to frontline services.
"Delivering results means deciding what works and what doesn't, and shifting resources to frontline services," Ms Collins said. "Everything we do needs to be geared toward keeping crime falling and ensuring those who need justice get access to it."
