Home detention working, says Corrections Department

The Corrections Department is pushing the advantages of home detention, saying offenders very rarely re-offend during the term of their sentence.

Corrections probation and offender services manager Katrina Casey said more than 95 per cent of offenders on home detention last year did not require any "formal enforcement action".

Home detention's advantage over prison time was its ability to restrict freedom while encouraging offenders to remain offence free, Ms Casey said.

"It does this by being able to put restrictions on offenders while encouraging them to work, maintain and in some cases establish family relationships, and attend treatment programmes."

Good results were dependent on high quality work and dedication of probation officers around the country, she said.

"Their dedication and skill in doing their job is at the heart of this success."

The Government announced recently that home detention would become a sentence in its own right, a vital part of its new package intended to strengthen the criminal justice system.

- NZPA