Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Ryall Tony: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:611;Page:8448] 
8.  
Hon TONY RYALL (NZ National—Bay of Plenty) 
 to the  
Minister of Corrections 
 : What role is there for victims or for families of victims in the application for home detention? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN (Minister of Corrections) 
: 
 Victims’ families who are part of the victim notification process are entitled to receive information about the hearing for the offender if he or she is being considered for home detention. Victims may make a submission in writing to the board in advance of the hearing and orally to the panel considering the case. The Parole Board takes into account victims’ submissions when making decisions on offenders’ applications for home detention. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Why was Mrs Rita Croskery not advised that Kurariki had applied for home detention and that that would be considered by the Parole Board; why was the victim’s family not told when the law requires that they should have been told? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I am advised by the department that the Parole Board wrote to that person on 18 August informing her that the person in question was coming up for a hearing. The woman wrote back to the Parole Board seeking further information and a couple of days later the board wrote back and has since spoken to her by phone. 
Georgina Beyer 
: Apart from submissions made by victims what other information does the Parole Board consider when hearing applications for home detention? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: Public safety is the paramount concern of the Parole Board. In addition to the victim’s submission other matters are taken into account including submissions from the police details about the offender’s current and previous convictions information about how the offender’s home detention would be managed a report from a psychologist and the views of the Community Probation Service on the offender’s suitability for home detention. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: Given that the Minister has confirmed that his department failed to advise Mrs Croskery appropriately failed to advise a Kawerau family that the killer of their brother was being paroled to live next door to them and recommended that a wife basher get home detention back with the very woman he bashed—and then he bashed her again within weeks of being home—why should Parliament have any confidence that his department will protect the community from Bailey Junior Kurariki? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: In relation to the first part of the question I can say that there has been correspondence and phone calls between the person concerned and the Parole Board. Secondly the final decision on whether a person is granted home detention lies with the Parole Board. 
Ron Mark 
: Is the Minister now telling the House that of all the people who were convicted of assaulting a child—including the individual who assaulted a child with a firearm the individuals who raped girls under the age of 16 and the 10 who were responsible for killing with a motor vehicle—in every instance where they were granted home detention the victims of their crimes were informed and they were given the opportunity to appear; or is it not the real truth according to Mr Glen Goodman that the home detention system is totally out of control and that this Government is “deceiving the public”? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: No I do not agree that home detention is out of control. I acknowledge that mistakes have been made on the notification system and I am turning my attention to that. Mistakes should not be made on the notification system. 
Dr Muriel Newman 
: Does the Minister not think that the whole concept of home detention—given the case we have been talking about where a convicted killer has served only 1 year of a 7-year prison sentence and the case of the former television newsreader Darren McDonald sentenced to 8 months in jail for supplying drugs—is bringing the whole justice system into disrepute in that one can now kill people sell drugs and stay at home? 
Hon PAUL SWAIN 
: I note firstly that of course the home detention system was introduced by the previous National - New Zealand First Government and perhaps we should not forget that. What I can say is that home detention by and large has been a very effective custodial arrangement and leads to a much much lower reoffending rate than normal prison sentences. 
Hon Tony Ryall 
: I think this may assist the Minister. I would like to table a transcript of a television interview this morning where Mrs Rita Croskery goes through the process and says that she was not advised as she was legally entitled to be advised. 
Document by leave laid on the Table of the House.