If prisons worked properly there would be no re-offending.
Making life inside so awful people would be too scared to reoffend is impossible without draconian measures a civilised society wouldn’t contemplate.
Addressing the causes of crime including alcohol and drug addiction and equipping inmates for life outside as Corrections Minister Anne Tolley has announced is a much better idea.
A boost in alcohol and drug treatment, alongside increased education, skills training and employment programmes for prisoners, including remand prisoners, will lead to safer communities and better value for money for taxpayers.
From 2017, there will also be 600 fewer prisoners in jail than in 2011, and 4,000 fewer community offenders.
“It’s time to get serious about breaking this vicious cycle of prison and reoffending,” Mrs Tolley says.
“Offenders need to be made accountable for their crimes. But while they are in prison and upon their release, we must do more to rehabilitate, and then reintegrate, if they are to avoid a return to crime.”
People leaving prison still addicted or without the skills to earn a living are almost certain to return.
Treating addiction and addressing poor literacy and numeracy while people are in prison and giving more support to help them reintegrate are the best ways to reduce the chances of reoffending.
It is very expensive to keep someone in prison, it is better for prisoners, their families and wider society to spend money on preventative measures.
Homepaddock 
I’d be shocked if they were able to achieve 25% reductions in reoffending.
But the policy’s still worth trying. All the more so if it could be done by random control trial (post to follow on that).
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This just $65 million dollar boilerplate.
PR to appear to be doing something.
Some people you do not want to reintegrate into society pedophile school teachers for example. You don’t want them around children do you?
In truth – the nice middle classes can’t get their head around the fact that there are many who don’t think like them and for whom life has not offered anything and never will.
And given that our leading citizens are a fairly dishonest bunch themselves the whole thing has the reek of hypocrisy.
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