Wall Louisa: Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill — In CommitteeText is incorporated into the Bound VolumeWall Louisa: Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill — In Committee[Sitting date: 26 September 2013. Volume:693;Page:13818. Text is incorporated into the Bound Volume.]LOUISA WALL (Labour—Manurewa): Kia ora Mr Chair. Thank you very much for this opportunity to contribute in this Committee stage debate on the Administration of Community Sentences and Orders Bill. It is a shame that my colleague Jan Logie unfortunately cannot also reap some of the praise that I want to give to the Minister of Corrections. I want to acknowledge the announcement yesterday in terms of transgender and transsexual prisoners. I think it is not a bold move but a move that she has made based on the evidence and also based on the work of people like Jan Logie to advocate for our transgender community.My contribution to this debate is really to highlight again the contribution that our probation officers give to the whole smooth running of the justice system. Actually if there was one thing that I really wanted to highlight it is that this piece of legislation now empowers them with more responsibility and with more opportunity to do their job which is to quote from their website to “protect the public and help reduce re-offending by supporting offenders by bringing about positive changes.” So I see that the opportunity that this piece of legislation gives to them will actually enable more robust relationships with community organisations.One of the things that I have seen in my electorate of Manurewa and the probation service that we provide is that a lot of the community work that the service tries to find is actually about reintegrating and enabling some of our offenders whom for whatever reason—drunk-driving family violence issues—we want to reintegrate. Some of the specific connections that we were trying to encourage in my electorate were work in schools for example and work supporting not only sports organisations but also some of our social sector organisations. The overall theme and strategy about enabling people to contribute and feel like they are part of the community is I think completely underlined in this piece of legislation. I do want to congratulate the Government on what it is doing.We have some challenges in the justice system. Too many of our young people—and actually older people—are doing things particularly around alcohol drugs and public behaviour which mean that one of the mechanisms we have is to sentence them to home detention or community detention. The overall strategy and philosophy that thispiece of legislation is bringing in is really about giving people second chances and enabling them to feel like they do have a pathway to a better life and a better contribution.I particularly want to focus I guess on the translation of some of the community work to people being able to do courses. I think it is a really constructive thing for the justice system to encourage so I am particularly encouraged by this general philosophy. It seems that there is a consensus right through the Committee in terms of this kind of justice engagement. We want people to get the support and help that they need so that they do not stay there for life. I think that is one of the biggest challenges when I look at who is in prison. Because of the Wiri Prison being developed in my community I have a relationship withSerco. I have been to Mt Eden prison. I know that this type of philosophy we can start at this lower offending end of the spectrum but it actually needs to permeate right through our criminal justice system. In terms of this philosophy I am really encouraged.I again want to congratulate the Minister of Corrections and also the people who worked on this bill. I am not on the Law and Order Committee but I acknowledge those members of the House who are. I do see this as another constructive opportunity for us to work together. I think all of us do not want people in prisons. We want to stop building prisons. We actually want to make sure that people who do enter the justice system at this end—the beginning end I guess—of what could be a pathway for them being in the justice system for life actually have a pathway out. That is why I particularly stand in support of this bill and commend this bill to the Committee.Part 1 agreed to.The question was put that the amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 269 in the name of the Hon Anne Tolley to new Part 1A be agreed to.Amendment agreed to.The question was put that the amendments set out on Supplementary Order Paper 269 in the name of the Hon Anne Tolley to Part 2 be agreed to.Amendments agreed to.Part 2 as amended agreed to.Part 3 agreed to.The question was put that the amendment set out on Supplementary Order Paper 269 in the name of the Hon Anne Tolley to insert new clause 46A be agreed to.Amendment agreed to.Part 4 as amended agreed to.Clause 1 agreed to.The question was put that the following amendments in the name of the Hon Anne Tolley to clause 2 be agreed to:replace “section 34(1)” in subclause (1) with “sections 34(1) and 46A”;replace subclause (2) with the following new subclause:(2)Part 1 Part 1A section 27C section 32 so far as it relates to section 80ZGD and section 46A come into force on the day after the date that this Act receives the Royal assent.; andomit subclause (3).Amendments agreed to.Clause 2 as amended agreed to.Bill reported with amendment.Report adopted.