Nats say community-based sentences failing

A large number of offenders breaching community-based sentences has added to the overflow in the country's jails, National Party law and order spokesman Simon Power says.

The Corrections Department released its annual report yesterday, showing a drop in compliance with community-based sentences.

Twenty six per cent of offenders failed to complete community work sentences -- up 1 per cent from last year, 29 per cent broke parole conditions compared with 25 per cent last year, and 33 per cent broke "post-release conditions" compared with 28 per cent last year.

Mr Power today said breaches of supervision orders had also gone up to 14 per cent in the year to June 30, from 12 per cent the year before.

He said 1879 offenders were sent back to prison for breaching community work or supervision -- about 150 more than the year before and 420 higher than two years ago.

"That's putting more pressure on the prison system," Mr Power said.

Corrections' annual report showed prison occupancy reached 102 per cent at one point during the year, forcing prisoners into court and police cells, and stretching the department's ability to deliver some services to prisoners.

Mr Power said the high number of breaches also showed the community work system was failing.

"There is a serious problem with a system that allows more than a quarter of offenders to breach community work," he said.

"This Labour-led Government wants to let more people out of prison on community-based sentences, but it's the failure of these sentences that is clearly helping to push up the prison population."

Yesterday's report blamed high prison occupancy for a drop in the number of prisoner hours in community service "employment" from 55,000 to 33,000 - less than half the 68,000 hours expected.

Prisoners also spent just 39,000 hours in "release to work" employment -- less than half the expected 84,000.

The report says a large number of transfers resulting from high occupancy also led to lower than expected numbers of prisoners in training and education.

Other features of the report included fewer positive drug tests by inmates, more cellphones and contraband confiscated, a drop in serious assaults on staff and $9.2 million in outstanding claims against the department by prisoners alleging mistreatment and 43 disgruntled staff.

- NZPA