The prison population has reached 8509.
The number of prisoners behind bars in New Zealand is at its highest level ever, and underlines the urgent need to create extra prison capacity, Corrections Minister Judith Collins said today.
It also underlines the need to address the underlying causes of crime and measures which might prevent criminal acts and reoffending.
A disproportionate number of prisoners have literacy and numeracy problems, too many are drug and alcohol addicts, and too many are repeat offenders.
Doing more to improve literacy and numeracy and treatment of drug and alcohol problems would be good places to start crime prevention.
It would be best to get to people before they commit crimes. However, it’s too late for some but once they’ve offended and are in prison they are literally a captive audience for education and treatment.
Prisons shouldn’t be holiday camps. But one of the aims of a sentence should be equipping a prisoner for a crime-free life on release.
Homepaddock 