Judges have greater choices when sentencing offenders. Photo / Paul Estcourt
Three new non-custodial sentences can be imposed by courts and tougher rules around parole also kick in.
Justice Minister Mark Burton said the country's prison population was nearing 8500.
"Today we take a significant step forward in confronting our rising prison population," he said yesterday.
The Sentencing Amendment
Act 2007 (formerly part of the Criminal Justice Reform Bill) created the new sentences of:
* Home detention - which becomes a sentence in its own right, rather than a way of serving a sentence of imprisonment.
* Intensive supervision - a more comprehensive version of the supervision sentence.
* Community detention - an electronically monitored curfew.
Changes have also been made to community work sentences. For example, the court is now able to authorise up to 20 per cent of the hours to be converted into training in basic work and living skills.
"Prison is not always the answer, and from today the courts will have more options to both issue penalties for offending and also to address the causes of an offender's behaviour," Mr Burton said.
"Home detention in particular has high compliance rates and low re-conviction and re-imprisonment rates compared to prison sentences."
Mr Burton said the Government would continue to take a hard line on "serious and hardened criminals".
Other Criminal Justice Reform Bill changes also came into force yesterday, including the Parole Amendment Act 2007 that:
* Stated parole was a privilege, not a right.
* Created a new residential restrictions condition of parole, similar to home detention.
* Gave the Parole Board the power to call witnesses.
* Extended to police the ability to apply for recall of an offender on the grounds that they pose an undue risk to the community.
* Allowed the Parole Board to receive confidential information where disclosure could prejudice the maintenance of the law or endanger any person's safety.
Submissions on the bill were reopened to look at changes to parole after Graeme Burton murdered Karl Kuchenbecker while on parole in January.
- NZPA
