Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:618;Page:13772] 
11.  
Hon TONY RYALL (National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
: What analysis has been done on the effectiveness of the Public Prison Service’s rehabilitation programmes on repeat offenders? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 Extensive analysis has provided ample evidence that treatment programmes provided by the Department of Corrections significantly reduce reoffending. For example studies of the department’s Kia Marama and Te Piriti sex offender programmes have consistently shown that those programmes halve the rate of reoffending in terms of sex offences against children. Programmes to reduce violent offending have been shown to reduce violent offending by approximately 17 percent over a 2-year period. Although of course not all repeat offenders will be rehabilitated these results show that the department’s rehabilitation programmes are helping to reduce reoffending. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why is the Minister so convinced when official information from his department now shows that over one-third of all violent inmates are serving at least their third stretch in prison; and does that not convince him that the parole system is not working? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Not at all. The reality is that the repeat reoffending the member has mentioned has been around under Governments over many many years. What the department is doing now particularly with violent-offending programmes is actually reduce reoffending rates. I am confident that with more effort more reductions will occur. 
Martin Gallagher 
: Can the Minister detail to the House what success the Department of Corrections is having in preventing offenders from recycling back into prisons? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The Department of Corrections does good work in this area. The percentage of released inmates returning to prison within 2 years of release was over 37 percent in both 1999 and 2000 around the time that the member opposite was in Government but reduced to 34 percent in 2001. I am currently developing a coordinated reintegration programme that is designed to reduce even further the number of ex-prisoners returning to prison. 
Ron Mark 
: What does it say about prison rehabilitation that 60 percent of the new inmates entering prison this year have been there before; and in the light of the revelations now does the Minister now accept that his integrated offender management system is failing and it is time to implement New Zealand First’s legislation of “three strikes and you’re out”? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: In response to the second part of the question no. In response to the first part of course it is not just the prison or corrections system that is responsible for people returning; there is a much wider responsibility than that. The reality is that the programmes the member criticises have been quite effective in helping to reduce reoffending. I would hope the member would support those programmes rather than bagging them all the time. 
Stephen Franks 
: Can the Minister guarantee to us that the three criminals referred to in the report recently released from the ministry who were returned to prison after more than 20 previous prison sentences were not out on parole at the times of their latest crimes; and how many second chances after 20 should a criminal get before the Government learns that it ought not trust him or her on parole again? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: In answer to the first question I cannot guarantee that because I am not sure. In answer to the second question under the guidance of the Minister of Justice the length of time that people are serving in prisons has increased which is why I as the Minister of Corrections have had to find $600 million for four new prisons. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: If rehabilitation and parole have not worked once twice three times or even 21 separate times when will the Government realise that these repeat offenders should not be getting parole which they are violating upon release? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: The department does its best but the reality is that if that member wants to lock up everybody he will need a whole lot more prisons—presumably in the Eastern Bay of Plenty where the member lives. 
Ron Mark 
: I seek leave to table a series of questions put to the Minister regarding an evaluation report of the integrated offender management system—a report that he is now refusing to make available to the public. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Are those parliamentary written questions? 
Ron Mark 
: Yes they are parliamentary questions. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Leave is sought to table those questions. Is there any objection? There is.