Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Mark Ron: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8758] 
12.  
RON MARK (NZ First) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
: Is he satisfied that home detention and parole are fulfilling the purpose for which they were intended and does he have confidence in them? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 Generally yes. Both schemes are designed to reduce the incidence of reoffending. Statistics show that both schemes do achieve that purpose and in the case of home detention dramatically so. 
Ron Mark 
: What was the purpose and intent behind the decisions made by his department that saw a man who had been sentenced to 6 years’ jail for six robberies paroled after serving only 2 years of that sentence—a man who despite being in total breach of his parole conditions was never hunted down and recalled to prison but was instead left at large so allowing him to carry out another eight armed robberies for which he is now awaiting sentencing? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: It is very hard to comment on a specific case without the full details. I would be happy to look into that if the member were to provide them. 
Martin Gallagher 
: Has the Minister seen evidence that others share his confidence in home detention? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Yes. The benefits of home detention have been broadly recognised for many years since its introduction by the then National Government in 1993 its expansion by the National - New Zealand First coalition and through to the New Zealand First 1999 law and order policy which called for greater use of home detention instead of as Mr Winston Peters said “giving those louts taxpayer-funded accommodation that costs $60000 a year each.” 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Can the Minister explain why Chubb Security guards were required to monitor an inmate on home detention by making a 1-hour round trip every 3 hours 24 hours a day for 57 days; what sort of electronic monitoring is that? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: It is often acknowledged that in some parts of New Zealand it is difficult to get the electronic monitoring in place. [ 
Interruption 
] Well partly it is true because the previous National Government did nothing about telecommunications reform for 9 years. We are doing something about that. Eventually there will be 100 percent coverage but that member must recognise that it will take some time. 
Heather Roy 
: Does he have any concerns about the case in today’s  
Dominion Post  
where an under-15-year-old rapist does not have to even ask for home detention because under current sentencing laws he cannot be sent to prison; and if the Minister is concerned about that by what date will that bizarre law be changed? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: That is obviously a matter to do with sentencing and the Minister of Justice. The whole issue of home detention which was the subject of the initial question has been a success. Some changes need to be made and I am considering some of them at the moment. But there is no doubt about it—home detention has reduced the recidivism rate in New Zealand quite substantially. 
Marc Alexander 
: Can the Minister give this House a categorical assurance that each and every breach of the provisions of home detention no matter how trivial it may seem is reflected in the figures provided by the Department of Corrections; if not what confidence can we have that the detentions can be said to be effective when the veracity of the figures is found to be wanting? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Breaches of conditions are obviously monitored and recorded by the probation service and I say to the member that the service does an extraordinarily good job in difficult circumstances. I hope that the member will provide some support for that group which is doing a very good service for the rest of the community. 
Marc Alexander 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your guidance because I asked a question as to what assurance the Minister could give about the veracity of the figures. I did not get an answer to that. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: The Minister may care to comment. 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I indicated to the member that breaches around things like home detention are recorded and monitored by the probation service and if there is a case where a breach is significant then recall is an option. In many many cases the probation service applies to the Parole Board for recall to prison. 
Ron Mark 
: What was the purpose and intent of allowing a senior Mongrel Mob member—whose previous multiple convictions included aggravated robbery times three kidnapping times one escaping custody times two and aggravated assault—to have front-end home detention which has since resulted in his being busted for manufacturing methamphetamine and being in possession of a pistol with ammunition; what is that all about? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Once again it is hard to comment on an individual case because I do not have the information before me. But I will say that decisions on those kinds of matters are appropriately made by the Parole Board and that is the way it should be. 
Ron Mark 
: Why does the Minister not just admit that his statistics on breaches of home detention are shonky and that he has not got a clue as to what is going on in his department; if he rejects that assertion could he please explain to the House how it is that people are committing offences whilst on home detention and are being given community service rather than being recalled to prison? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The statistics on breaches are pretty good. The question is really about the relationship between breaches and offences and I have already indicated to that member that that is something I am looking into because I think we need tighter statistics on that.