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Archived Press Releases 2007 12th December 2007

WATCHDOG SUPPORTS RON MARK'S BILL TO LOWER THE AGE OF CRIMINAL RESPONSIBILITY.

THE SAD STATE OF OUR NATIONS JUSTICE SYSTEM - 48 PEOPLE MURDERED IN NZ TO DATE FOR 2007.

(12th December 2007)

The Sensible Sentencing Trust Taupo Coordinator and Maori Crime issues specialist Kelly Te Heuheu vigorously supports Ron Mark's bill to lower the age of criminal responsibility. This is long overdue and will be a step in the right direction to halt young offenders with a future of criminal destruction until they graduate in jail. Along the way they will leave a trail of victims shattered or dead.

If this bill does not go through New Zealand 's future will be to build more prisons at the taxpayers expense. Graveyards and hospitals will overflow and the pressure on community support services will be at its breaking point.

“The Labour government has had eight years to get it right with the Justice system - they still don't get it! They have let every NZ citizen down. We are now living in one of the most dangerous countries in the western world, because they do not have the guts to do anything about our country's criminals. Forty-eight people murdered in 2007 is a shocking state for our nation.

"Human rights" groups, rich defence lawyers, and prison support services are all interfering with our right to have a safe and secure country.

It's a joke - we do not have prisons now we have hotels and they are run like a circus. The Labour government clowns in Wellington decide how the prisons should function. Human rights come before common sense, for example inmates participation in work gangs - these days the inmates don't have to get out of bed to work they instead have a choice to spend there day watching TV or sleep.

In one prison at night we have three corrections officers to sixty inmates. If an officer takes a work gang out it's not unusual to have one male or female corrections officer overseeing a group of 20 or more inmates. Corrections officers have no protection. No one has spoken up about the safety of Corrections officers. They should be paid danger money - the wages are low considering the high risk job they do. Tasers should be considered for Corrections staff at least if police are given the right to their usage in future.

In some prisons the inmates are able to climb over the roof to get from one wing to the next - a potential disaster if a riot starts amongst warring gangs or if they decide to attack corrections officers.

     THE LABOUR GOVERNMENT STILL DOESN’T GET IT!!

These clowns in Wellington with there academic bureaucratic nonsense have made our prisons a haven for criminals and New Zealand is recognized internationally as a great place for criminals.

Our schools are not safe, our streets are not safe and NZ citizens are prisoners in their own home to ensure their own safety.

The sooner these clowns are gone the sooner we can build our nation and live the safe and secure life every NZ Citizen deserves.

Regards,

Kelly Te Heuheu
Maori Crime Issues Specialist,
Taupo Co-ordinator and Media Spokeperson
Sensible Sentencing Trust
Aotearoa
Email kteh@ihug.co.nz