Sadly he could not take his government with him and National's only answer to this failure was more of the same, leading to a plan to build American style mega-prisons.
That New Zealand finds itself in an expensive and unsustainable predicament is undeniable.
Prison populations are measured against a country's population and by this measure New Zealand has 220 prisoners per 100,000 of our people.
The comparable number for countries with similar heritages is 114 for Canada, 167 for Australia, and 140 for the Britain.
The contrast with advanced European states is even starker, with Germany on the same basis reporting 78, Belgium at 91 and Finland on 57.
Reducing prisoner numbers without endangering the public can be done and indeed has been done.
The US State of New York's prison population peaked at 72,000 in 1999 but was reduced by 26 per cent by 2012.
This is close to the 30 per cent target the new Government has set itself over a 30-year period and demonstrates that such targets in societies similar to ours are achievable.
I shall list five strategies that would contribute towards a more normal jail muster.
It's clear from the aborted attempt to repeal the idiotic and ineffectual "Three Strikes" law that our parliamentarians live in fear of the penal populists and that legislative solutions to the problem will be fraught.
This doesn't mean that some sensible legislation should not be attempted.
• Strategy one: There is wide support for Act Leader David Seymour's idea of reducing sentences for non-violent prisoners when they improve themselves through education. This policy was nabbed by Bill English's National Party and it was a feature of New York's approach reducing its prison muster.
• Strategy two: Legalise cannabis for medicinal and recreational use just like Canada, Uruguay and a lengthening list of states of the US. Logically, those convicted under previous laws would be released and large quantities of police time could be refocused on methamphetamine, the truly dangerous drug. Public opinion has been moving towards support for this measure for some time and the time is surely ripe.
• Strategy three: Incentivise prisoner to get their driver's licences while in jail and provide licensing programmes in all jails. Sixty-five per cent of Maori who make up more than half of our prisoners had driving offences as at least an element in their first sentence. Former Corrections Minister Judith Collins knew about this and commissioned valuable research in this area. This showed that 84 per cent of entry-level jobs (the kind that released prisoners can aspire to) require a licence. In this country, a driver's licence is, with a passport, practically the only acceptable means of identification. As such it is also the key to a bank account and full participation in normal society.
• Strategy Four: The Corrections Minister should direct the incoming Corrections CEO to appoint a volunteer co-ordinator for every jail so that the voluntary support for education, mentoring, skills acquisition and all kinds of "normalising" experiences for prisoners can be maximised. Right now all volunteers offering to assist in jails are placed by six regionally appointed volunteer co-ordinators spread amongst the 18 jails. There is, for example only one volunteer co-ordinator for the five South Island jails, two of which are more than 500km apart. The Northern Region, which includes the jails at Kaikohe, Paremoremo, Mount Eden and the Women's jail at Wiri, also has just one volunteer co-ordinator. Unlike the Corrections Department, the only privately administered jail in New Zealand - Auckland South jail at Wiri – doesn't look this kind of gift-horse in the mouth and Howard League volunteers are involved in literacy, Te Reo Maori classes, creative writing, cooking and peer-to-peer literacy. In addition we supply their growing library with books and periodicals.
• Strategy Five: Put a rocket under the Parole Board. We repeatedly hear of delays and postponements of parole hearings for prisoners who have completed their courses - like drug and alcohol rehabilitation. This means prisoners who have earned release under the rules can't secure the opportunity to put their case for release.
Dostoevsky said: "The degree of civilisation in a society is revealed by entering its prisons". Counting its prisoners is another way.
• Mike Williams grew up in Hawke's Bay. He is CEO of the NZ Howard League and a former Labour Party president. All opinions are his and not those of Hawke's Bay Today.
