PM attacks cost of Brash crime policies

By RUTH BERRY, political reporter

Don Brash lays down his laws at a meeting of the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Picture / Martin Sykes

Prime Minister Helen Clark says National's tough new parole plans could double the prison population, requiring up to 10 new prisons at a cost of $2 billion.

National leader Don Brash yesterday estimated his plans to eliminate parole for all but about 15 per cent of inmates would result in a 50 per cent increase in the 6000-plus inmate population.

He put new prison building costs at about $1 billion.

Neither party has come up with firm costings to support their figures.

While she questioned Dr Brash's sums and reiterated her Government's track record, Helen Clark nevertheless appeared reluctant to fuel the debate yesterday, saying: "I'm not interested in getting into an auction."

The Prime Minister noted that law and order was an issue on which people had strong views, often as a result of personal experiences as victims of crime, and she wanted to acknowledge that.

Her Government had instituted a raft of changes since gaining power in 1999 which had resulted in tougher sentencing, bail and parole conditions.

"I think there is a very strong record in cracking the whip in law and order."

Helen Clark refused to get stuck into the prospect raised by Dr Brash of introducing some type of "hard labour", saying there had always been a lack of adequate ways for inmates to employ their time.

And the Prime Minister indicated the Government had an open mind on expanding DNA testing for all crime suspects, as promised by Dr Brash.

Social justice advocate and former manager of Christchurch Women's Prison, Celia Lashlie, was more critical, describing Dr Brash's spending plans as a "wishlist".

"There's no way there is ever going to be the money to do this."

Every dollar National wanted to spend building prisons could reap the community four times the benefit if it was spent at the front-end targeting children aged up to six years, she said.

The plan to abolish parole for the average repeat offender revealed Dr Brash had "no recognition" of what caused people to reoffend.

While longer sentences could sometimes be used to help people better rehabilitate, in themselves they did not act as a deterrent to re-offending.

She was particularly critical of Dr Brash's apparent suggestion yesterday that second-term offenders might not be able to be rehabilitated.

He floated the idea during an interview where he gave his qualified support for some type of hard labour in prisons.

Saying he was repeating what he had been told by a former Labour Cabinet minister, he said for inmates "who are there for the second, third and fourth times ... really rehabilitation was no longer a sensible or plausible option".

Ms Lashlie said she had rarely heard "such a desolate view of humanity".

In her experience working in prisons, she had only ever met a handful of inmates who were not capable of reform.

National's parole plan

National is promising a major crackdown on parole if elected to power, pledging to remove it for about 85 per cent of all prisoners.

It would remove parole for all second-time and other repeat offenders and all violent offenders. Leader Dr Don Brash says that will result in a 50 per cent rise in the more than 6000-strong prison population. The Government says it could almost double it.

Existing law

Prisoners sentenced to two years' jail or less are eligible for parole after serving half their sentence.

Those sentenced to two years or more are eligible for parole after serving one-third of their sentence. Judges can set a minimum non-parole period of up to two-thirds of the sentence. Offenders deemed an undue risk must be detained until the end of their sentences.

The minimum non-parole period for murders with significant aggravating factors is increased to 17 years and the terms can be indefinite if the Parole Board considers them a community risk.

Legislation just passed means high-risk convicted sex offenders will be able to be placed under extended supervision for up to 10 years after their sentence ends.

Why scrap parole?

Dr Brash: Recidivism rates and the fact that only 65 per cent of parolees honour parole conditions suggest the present system is too soft.

The average number of convictions for the 6000-plus people in jail is 35. "People either have to be locked up longer or prison has to be made more unattractive. When people are in prison they're not knocking you off, murdering, raping, burgling."

He wants post-release monitoring and pre-release planning to help rehabilitation.

Critics: The Sentencing and Parole Act 2002 changes have already increased sentences and are much tougher on the worst offenders.

Longer sentences have not been proven to act as a deterrent to reoffending, but effective rehabilitation does.

Parole is beneficial as it provides a form of controlled release. In the two years after March 2001, 15.6 per cent of inmates released by Parole Board discretion have been reconvicted, and 28.7 of those released at the mandatory sentence date without parole were reconvicted. The prospect of parole provides an incentive to reform while in prison.

The cost

Dr Brash: Based on a 50 per cent rise in the prison population, he estimates an extra $1 billion will need to be spent building new jails. He believes the policy will also cost a further $300 million a year to run.

Government: It says the estimates are light and believes the plan could double the prison population, requiring 10 new prisons worth $2 billion. It estimates an extra $3 billion in operating costs over 10 years and claims National will have to slash social service funds to pay for prisons.

New prisons

Prisons now take an average of eight to 10 years to build. A major block is gaining community consent to have prisons built in their "backyards".

Dr Brash: He is promising major Resource Management Act changes to fast-track prison-building. It was absurd and trivialising the issue to ask National, while in Opposition, where they would be built, he said.

Corrections Minister Paul Swain: "National needs to front up and tell people where they plan to build them. Will they build them in Kaipara, North Shore, Bay of Plenty, Nelson and Southland?"

Prison conditions

Dr Brash: "At the moment, as I understand it, prisoners do not have any obligation to do anything constructive in prison."

He envisages a situation where inmates "are actually doing some physical work, maybe in agriculture or farming, road construction".

He sees a great deal of merit in doing hard labour, even if it breaches United Nations conventions.

Corrections chief financial officer Richard Morris: Inmates are encouraged to participate in employment-related training while in prison. It is not compulsory.

Helen Clark: "Finding prisoners useful things to do in prison is a good idea. One of the problems is that there have never been enough work opportunities in prison."

Who's behind bars

* Violent offenders: 60 per cent of male inmates.

* Property offenders (mainly burglars): 20 per cent.

* Drug and traffic offenders: slightly under 10 per cent.

* Women account for less than 400 of the prison population.

* Current muster: 6100 prisoners. New Zealand has second highest imprisonment rate in Western world.