Smart decarceration: It’s not just about getting people out of our prisons

The Labour-led Government has committed to reducing the prison population by 30 percent in 15 years. On its own that is a tough call. New Zealand’s imprisonment rate has remained insupportably high, especially for Māori, for decades. Measures like Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis’ behind-the-scenes tinkering could conceivably continue the reductions he has achieved in recent months averting an immediate overcrowding crisis. Longer-term social, institutional and cultural change to address the issues that send too many to prison in the first place is an even more intractable problem.

Lectures, talks and seminars

MY305 (Murphy Building Level 3)

Presented by


Description

On its own that is a tough call. New Zealand’s imprisonment rate has remained unsustainably high, especially for Māori, for decades. Measures like Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis’ behind-the-scenes tinkering could conceivably continue the reductions he has achieved in recent months averting an immediate overcrowding crisis. Longer-term social, institutional and cultural change to address the issues that send too many to prison in the first place is an even more intractable problem.


Speaker Bios

Toni is a mature student who returned to VUW after nearly 40 years to pursue a late-life career change after many years in journalism and publishing. She is particularly interested in penal reform and green criminology. She hopes to study for her MA in 2019.


For more information contact: Gill Blomgren

gill.blomgren@vuw.ac.nz 04 463 5677