Research tells us that by achieving this skill, the odds of these graduates re-offending on release are more than halved.
There have now been well over 100 beekeeping graduates, all trained by Brian – the retired guru of beekeeping - from Auckland Women’s Jail and Auckland Jail (Paremoremo).
Brian describes his involvement with the Howard League as the highlight of his retirement and because bees cannot be left alone and still be expected to make honey. Our beekeeping programme was the only in-jail activity which survived the Covid-19 pandemic uninterrupted.
The ESOL programme is another long-term success. Conducted one-on-one by Rusty, this initiative succeeds in getting the surprising number of non-English speakers serving sentences to a level of competence that allows communication with prison staff and fellow prisoners.
A young Brazilian prisoner I nattered with after the event spoke fluent, if pleasantly accented, English and told me she had had to “start from scraps” which I thought was an improvement on the usual expression.
The in-jail literacy programmes are steadily reviving after Covid-19.
Volunteers are needed as tutors for the Hawke’s Bay prison. The league will offer training and Corrections can provide up to $300 per annum for petrol/travel money. If you can help and enjoy a rewarding experience, look at our website www.nzhowardleague.org.nz
The change of Government should make no difference to the Howard League programmes. The in-jail programmes are volunteer-based and funded by philanthropy and the expanded offender’s driver’s licence programme is a great example of Sir Bill English’s “social investment”.
According to Bill English’s own company, Impact Lab, driver’s licensing for ex-lawbreakers produces $3.26 to the crown for every dollar spent.
Though crime and incarceration figured in National and Act’s campaigns, I seriously doubt the two parties’ dedication to cutting the cost of government will allow for the 2000 extra prisoners at $400 million per annum or the brand-new jail at $1 billion plus that Act wants.
The Labour-led Government reduced our incarceration rate to somewhere closer to international respectability by better management and more attention to prisoners’ post-release experience.
The new Government, however “tough on crime” they want to appear, will know there is no correlation between crime rates and levels of incarceration.
The US is the model to be avoided, with an eye-popping level of incarceration - more than three times that of New Zealand - and crime statistics running at least double ours.
A key positive emerging from last week’s election was the support for New Zealand First. Calculations based on all MMP elections show the National/Act combination almost certainly cannot reach a majority without New Zealand First.
The influence of Winston will mean the extreme right-wing policies of both Act and National will be blunted or hopefully abandoned.
A second positive for the future was in the Māori electorates where many split their votes and, while favouring Labour with their party vote, opted for the Māori Party candidate.
If this becomes a habit, it will generate an overhang of two or three seats which will always favour the return of a Labour-led Government.
The volatility of the voters is a warning to all governing parties. In 2002, Bill English led National to an all-time low of 21 per cent of the party vote, yet just three years later the same party nearly doubled its vote share and came within a percentage point of leading the Government.
As many as 60 per cent of voters are not habitually attached to any party in the 2020s and many choose non-voting.
National will lead the Government when all votes are counted and has many promises to keep, not the least of which is the $250 a fortnight in tax cuts young marrieds with mortgages will be expecting.
Via its party list, Labour has retained a powerful and experienced front bench and if the party can resist instability, it could sweep back to power in 2026 as those unattached voters again change their minds.
It has been a privilege to share my thoughts with HB Today readers these many years and I thank the paper for the opportunity. Memoir coming!
Mike Williams grew up in Hawke’s Bay and is a former Labour Party president.
