Act expected to talk tough

Act is expected to continue a hardline law-and-order stance by emphasising jails are for punishment when its prisons policy is released today.

It will come on top of the party's position to scrap parole and to introduce a "self-defence" policy giving people increased rights to defend themselves without fear of being charged with assault.

Details of Act's policy will be unveiled by party leader Rodney Hide outside Rimutaka Prison near Wellington this afternoon.

However, it is understood the party will argue prisons are too soft.

It will also suggest the balance between rehabilitation and punishment is wrong, and that criminals need to be held responsible for making a personal choice to offend in the first place.

Act wants prisons to be so unpleasant that criminals will not want to go back there, although it is not clear how it intends to achieve this.

The hard-line approach comes as former Act MP Donna Awatere Huata waits to be sentenced after being convicted of crime.

One newspaper report suggests if sentenced to a jail term she might find herself in chalet accommodation at a Wellington women's prison with comfortable chairs and television.