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RETHINKING CRIME AND PUNISHMENTWhat Works?
Murray Short 2012
WHAT I WILL COVER
Tough or soft on crime? Current trends in crime and sentencing The purpose of sentences Effectiveness of sentences; belief and reality Addressing the causes Inequality, crime and imprisonment
TOUGH OR SOFT ON CRIME
An unhelpful characterisation Need to be effective on crime Need for evidenced based policy and practice Reduced crime reduces victimisation – this
must surely be everyone’s goal
CURRENT TRENDS
Number of people convicted over the past 20 years
Offences Sentences Imprisonment Reconviction and re-imprisonment over a 5-
year period
NUMBER OF PEOPLE CONVICTED 1990 TO 2010
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
0
20000
40000
60000
80000
100000
120000
Convictions
Source: Statistics NZ, Criminal Conviction and Sentencing Statistics, 2010
PEOPLE CONVICTED BY OFFENCE CATEGORY
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
0
5000
10000
15000
20000
25000
30000
35000
40000
Against person PropertyDrug Justice, Government, otherTraffic
Source: Statistics NZ, Criminal Conviction and Sentencing Statistics, 2010
PEOPLE CONVICTED: MOST SERIOUS SENTENCE
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
0
10000
20000
30000
40000
50000
60000
Imprisonment Community SentenceMonetary OtherConv & Discharge
Source: Statistics NZ, Criminal Conviction and Sentencing Statistics, 2010
CONVICTED OFFENDERS: PRISON SENTENCES
1990
1992
1994
1996
1998
2000
2002
2004
2006
2008
2010
0
2000
4000
6000
8000
10000
12000
14000
Imprisonment
Source: Statistics NZ, Criminal Conviction and Sentencing Statistics, 2010
RELEASED PRISONERS: RECONVICTION AND RE-IMPRISONMENT RATES BY AGE
All ages
20 - 24
25 - 29
30 - 39
40 and above
0 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 100
52
71
55
49
35
71
88
74
69
51
Reconvicted Re-imprisoned
Department of Corrections, Reconviction patterns of released prisoners: A 60-months follow up analysis, 2009
RE-IMPRISONMENT RATE BY TIME TO FIRST PROVED RE-OFFENCE
3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60
11
1823
2630
33 35 37 39 41 43 44 46 47 48 49 50 51 51 52
Percentage of sample re-imprisoned
Follow up period in months
Department of Corrections, Reconviction patterns of released prisoners: A 60-months follow up analysis, 2009
RECONVICTION RATE BY TIME TO FIRST PROVED RE-OFFENCE : ALL COMMUNITY SENTENCES
3 6 9 12 15 18 21 24 27 30 33 36 39 42 45 48 51 54 57 60
15
2228
3236
39 41 43 45 47 48 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58
Percentage of sample reconvicted
Follow up period in months
Department of Corrections, Reconviction patterns of offenders managed in the community: A 60-months follow up analysis, 2009
THE PURPOSE OF SENTENCES
Punishment Retribution Denunciation Deterrence – individual and general Rehabilitation Restoration
Containment
Prevention of re-offending
EFFECTIVENESS OF SENTENCES: BELIEF AND REALITY
Punishment, retribution, denunciation - yes Containment – yes and essential for
protection of community Rehabilitation, restoration – limited Preventing re-offending – very limited
Belief - just like bringing up children Reality – the children that won’t be brought
up! Sentences, like punishment lose their sting We need other approaches as well –
“prevention is better than cure”
ADDRESSING THE CAUSES
Nigel Latta is convinced “It (the Dunedin study) clearly shows at age
three you can identify the children most likely to be in jail by age 26 on the basis of a 30-minute behavioural test. And we know without any doubt that early intervention is how you have an impact on those families.”
New Zealand Listener, February 18-24 2012, p 20
INEQUALITY, CRIME AND IMPRISONMENT
Emerging evidence of links between income inequality and crime, including many of the “drivers”
“The impact of inequality on violence is even better established and accepted than the other effects of inequality that we discuss in this book...”
Wilkinson, Richard and Kate Pickett; The Spirit Level: Why Equality is Better for Everyone. Penguin Group, Great Britain, 2009.
HOW MUCH RICHER ARE THE RICHEST 20% THAN THE POOREST 20%?
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level, 2009
HEALTH AND SOCIAL PROBLEMS ARE WORSE IN MORE UNEQUAL COUNTRIES
Index of: •Life expectancy•Math & Literacy •Infant mortality•Homicides•Imprisonment•Teenage births •Trust•Obesity•Mental illness –incl. drug & alcohol addiction•Social mobility
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level 2009
CHILD WELL-BEING IS BETTER IN MORE EQUAL RICH COUNTRIES
Source: Wilkinson & Pickett, The Spirit Level, 2009
CONCLUSION
A more balanced approach to crime and punishment that invests more resource in
addressing the causes.
For more information:
http://www.rethinking.org.nz/
