KEY POINTS:
The head of the Prison Fellowship says it is time political and public leaders guided the public through rational debate and stopped wasting time with emotive statements.
Kim Workman, project leader for the Rethinking Crime and Punishment campaign (a joint venture by Prison Fellowship and the Salvation Army), says too much time is being wasted discussing trivial, often political, issues.
"We would be better off looking at the real issues. For example, how much effort is being put into life skills training, remedial reading, basic education, work and vocational training.
"How much effort is going into providing prisoners with cultural, educational and spiritual experiences, that encourage prisoners to become contributing members of the community on release?"
His comments follow a statement yesterday by National Party law and order spokesman Simon Power attacking the Corrections Department over the purchase of 32 LCD televisions to be installed in prisons last year.
Mr Workman said he was not speaking in response to Mr Power's statement, but acknowledged it was an example of the kind of debate that perpetuated myths about prison life being easy.
"Ask the prisoner who is being targeted by a predator because he or she is young and attractive. Or the prisoner who has to watch their back for fear of assault. Or [who is] locked in their cell from 5pm until 8am every day. They will tell you what being in prison is like."
Mr Workman said most prisoners had televisions in their cells already and in the absence of prisons providing constructive activities, allowing them to watch television was "better than providing [them] with nothing".
"At the least, we should put to one side the notion that harsher sentences will act as a deterrent. Recent research confirms what all penologists have known for years. Harsh sanctions do not reduce reoffending."
- NZPA
