Mitchell Mark: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume 
Mitchell Mark: Financial Review Debate — In Committee 
[Sitting date: 12 March 2013. Volume:688;Page:8457. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.] 
MARK MITCHELL (National—Rodney) 
: 
 It is an honour to get up and speak in support of the Department of Corrections. I would like to just briefly touch on two areas. Tonight in the Chamber we have spoken a fair bit about youth and education so I would like to talk about the programme that is being implemented by Minister Tolley and if I get time I would also like to touch on Serco. The mix of public and private sectors working together is I think going to be a very successful model for New Zealand for the Department of Corrections for the prisoners and of course for our taxpayers because we are going to see a great mix of ideas and exchange of information between a very good private sector company and a very good and efficient Public Service. 
Corrections Minister Anne Tolley has officially opened a young offenders unit at the Hawke’s Bay Regional Prison that will deliver a much more structured approach to dealing with young prisoners. The under-20-year-olds will be required to take part in a daily routine that includes education vocational training and a rehabilitative programme. We do not want these young teenagers to get used to a life of crime and to continue creating victims in the years ahead. While they are being punished for committing crimes we can give them the opportunity to turn their lives round so that when they are released they are better equipped to contribute to society enter employment and be much less likely to reoffend. We will also be saving the taxpayer $96000 a year for every offender who does not return to prison. This is no easy task as young prisoners are often aggressive destructive and antisocial but if we can address these issues while they are under 20 and still impressionable while giving them education and skills training then we can make a real difference and ultimately we can make our communities safer. 
The 30-bed refurbished unit replaces the previous youth unit which was closed in 2011. The department has now strengthened its links with Child Youth and Family youth justice and police youth aid to better tackle youth offending. Under this Government and under Minister Tolley and Minister Collins we are seeing a model that is being rolled out throughout the country where there is much better cooperation and communication between the different agencies that are touching and having to deal with these offenders. This youth offenders unit has a major contribution to make in reaching that goal alongside our other important targets of a reduction of the total recorded crime rate of 15 percent a reduction in the recorded violent crime rate of 20 percent and a reduction in the youth crime rate of 5 percent. 
Two thousand prisoners are to be enrolled in an education programme leading to National Certificate of Educational Achievement (NCEA) qualifications over the next 2 years as a result of a new partnership that has been formed between the Department of Corrections and The Open Polytechnic. The partnership will help the department reach its Better Public Services target of a reduction in reoffending of 25 percent with 18500 fewer victims of crime each year by the year 2017. Offenders will receive 2 hours of coaching a week on top of 8 hours of distance learning as part of the Get Ahead with NCEA programme and will be able to study for an Open Polytechnic certification in career and self-development a national certificate in employment skills and a certificate in work and life skills and NCEA levels 1 and 2 will become available to them. 
We know that a lack of education is a major driver of crime. Education and qualifications are powerful tools in helping steer offenders away from criminal activity which leads to fewer victims of crime and ultimately safer communities. The reality is that around 90 percent of prisoners cannot read or write properly—90 percent of prisoners cannot read or write properly. Most will be released back into our communities but while they are inside prison they are the ultimate captive audience. If we can give them access to an education while inside the wire or just after release into the community they can learn literacy and numeracy skills and earn qualifications which will help them to hold down jobs and make a positive contribution to society instead of returning to crime. 
Report noted.