Barnett Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
Barnett Tim: Questions for Oral Answer — Questions to Ministers 
[Volume:616;Page:11921] 
12.  
TIM BARNETT (Labour—Christchurch Central) 
 to the  
Minister of Justice 
: What trends are shown in recent Ministry of Justice forecasts of the prison population and what reasons are given for these trends by the Ministry of Justice? 
Hon PHIL GOFF (Minister of Justice) 
: 
 The Ministry of Justice’s annual update of forecasts of prison population predicts a rise of about 20 percent in the prison population by 2010 up to 7400. The main reasons given for the increase are tougher sentencing legislation for serious crimes and other policy initiatives that crack down on crime including more police and higher rates of crime resolution. 
Tim Barnett 
: What legislative initiatives are referred to in research as being responsible for serious offenders serving longer in prison? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: Three pieces of legislation have resulted in tougher action against serious offenders. The research shows that the Sentencing Act of 2002 has resulted in longer sentences being imposed for serious crimes. At the same time the research predicts that the Parole Act of 2002 will increase the proportion of sentences that inmates actually spend in gaol and under the Bail Act of 2000 it found that more high-risk recidivist defendants were being denied bail. All of those Acts are good legislation. 
Ron Mark 
: Has the Minister discussed the predicted increases of up to 20 percent with the Minister of Corrections in particular with regard to the demands that will be placed on the Department of Corrections’ much-vaunted integrated offender management system which it is currently failing to keep up and over which it is likely to be exposed to undue fiscal risk? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I have discussed the projected increases with the Minister of Corrections and he would advise the House that the four new prisons under construction or planned will cost over $600 million for capital expenditure with operating costs of about $120 million a year. That is a huge investment. Most of us would rather spend that on health or education but at the moment and in the short term the only way to keep offenders and recidivists off the streets is longer sentences. That is what we have done. 
Ron Mark 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. I seek your assistance. I specifically asked not about capital development bricks and mortar or new prisons but about the impact on the integrated offender management system. The Minister did not once mention those words in his answer. I ask him through you to answer my question. 
Mr SPEAKER 
: Would the Minister like to make a brief comment on that? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I did mention the extra expenditure on operating costs including the integrated offender management system. All of the material I have read on that indicates that it is a huge advance on what went before it. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: How many more non-violent offenders does the Minister expect to lock up over the next 7 years and does he really think that locking non-violent offenders in jail is the best way to rehabilitate them or keep them from a life of crime? 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: Prison is not good as a rehabilitative measure. I will acknowledge the point made by the member immediately. But I think he should realise that 60 percent of the inmates in prison are there for violent offences—in particular homicide sexual violation grievous assault and robbery. The property offenders there are not there because they have committed their first second third fourth or even fifth burglary; they are people who every time they are let out of jail are back breaking into your house and my house and other people’s houses in the community. The only thing that can be done with those sorts of people unfortunately is to take them out of circulation and we are doing it. 
Nandor Tanczos 
: I raise a point of order Mr Speaker. While I appreciate the comments the Minister made my question was how many more non-violent offenders does he expect to lock up over the next 7 years? I am genuinely interested to know what those projections are. 
Hon PHIL GOFF 
: I am not sure what the projections will be. The property offenders currently in prison make up about 20 percent of the prison population. What the new legislation will do is ensure that people who are the most serious property offenders will spend longer in prison—as recent burglars did getting 12 and 13½ years’ imprisonment after their 182nd offence.