To: New Zealand Government
Reforming New Zealand's Criminal Justice System
The Sentencing Act of 2002 which states “to provide a sufficient range of sentences and other means of dealing with offenders.” In the interpretation of this act there is no clarification of the meaning of ‘other means’, we would like to remove the ambiguity of this statement within reasonable punishment in New Zealand prisons, pushing towards non-custodial sentences and mandatory rehabilitation after release from prison
Why is this important?
With rising incarceration rates and overcrowding creating terrible living conditions in prisons, reform is desperately needed in New Zealand's criminal justice system. We are looking to push for a greater amount of non-custodial sentences and to make it mandatory for low-level offenders to attend rehabilitation so that there can be less overcrowding in prisons and offenders can become more active members of society in order to not reoffend. Our group believes in the importance of rehabilitation of New Zealand offenders and inmates in order to see progressive change in offending and reoffending rates in New Zealand.
