NZ First's hard labour plans

Winston Peters wants "shorter, sharper" stays for those behind prison walls. Photo / Steven McNicholl

New Zealand First leader Winston Peters is planning to shorten jail sentences for repeat offenders but make life behind bars more difficult with a regime of hard labour.

In a speech in Pukekohe this afternoon, Mr Peters announced his party's law and order policy, which included bringing in "shorter sharper" jail sentences to reduce costs and make the prison "lifestyle choice" harder.

Courts would be able to reduce a prison sentence by up to 25 per cent of the minimum parole period currently allowed, and prisoners would face new, tough conditions.

As well as being forced into labour, inmates would receive just one visit and one phone call per week, would lose remission days, and have all privileges withdrawn.

"They will have something to look forward to - rations and diet will be reviewed to allow for the hard labour that will be required from this regime," Mr Peters said.

The policy would not apply to serious violent offenders or those that had committed serious drug offences.

Also in Mr Peters' line of fire were white collar criminals, who he said were getting off easy with home detention sentences.

"How fair is that?" he asked.

"You throw a teenager from Otara into jail for robbing a dairy but a rich man from Remuera gets six months Home D."

"We have some bad news for the financial fraudsters - New Zealand First is going to put them in with the offenders doing hard labour."

Mr Peters also proposed changes to laws allowing concurrent sentencing, under which judges can allow offenders to serve shorter prison sentences at the same time as a longer one.

For those guilty of rape, and for those who offended while on parole, bail, or in custody, Mr Peters said New Zealand First would remove the option of concurrent sentences.

"It is simple - you commit these serious crimes at the same time - you will do all the time that goes with these offences."

The Sensible Sentencing Trust has consistently pushed for cumulative sentencing, saying the result of concurrent sentences was a "discounting" scheme for offenders.