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Archived Press Releases 2007 1st March 2007

OVERHAUL OF YOUTH JUSTICE THE ONLY WAY TO STOP CRIME

Lobby group calls for accountability in youth sentencing

(1st March 2007)

Restorative Justice and Family Group Conferences are a failed social experiment and it is time to introduce "accountable" justice according to the Sensible Sentencing Trust.

Spokesman Garth McVicar said the Trust’s head office in Napier had been inundated with calls from members of the public "absolutely frustrated at the escalation of violent crimes and pathetic consequences handed out to young offenders."

A youth who held up a Napier diary was granted home detention earlier this month "providing he draws up a rehabilitation plan" was a typical example of soft-on-crime punishments which showed young people they could get away with anything. Mr McVicar said the family was obviously unable to control the teen in the first place so one had to wonder what made the Judge think they could control him now.

Another example was the machete-wielding Auckland gun shop raider who was also granted leave to apply for home detention. "The idiocy of this decision is that while the offender gets leave to apply for home detention, the victim, Greg Carvell, has been charged for shooting the guy as he came at him with a machete and could spend time in jail simply for defending himself. Has the justice system gone truly mad?"

Mr McVicar said it was high time proponents of the liberal social experiment realised the damage they were doing to young people by not holding them accountable. "Restorative Justice and Family Group Conferences are not doing young criminals any favours. Children need to be taught that actions have consequences. If the Judiciary can’t lead by example, teaching young people about accountability, responsibility, respect and discipline, then how are parents supposed to?"

Last week’s call by chief Family Court Judge, Peter Boshier, that young people needed to be more accountable than the present system was able to make them was an encouraging sign that change could happen, said Mr McVicar.

However such change could not happen unless politicians shared the same conviction as judges and the vast majority of New Zealanders.

"There is a very big mood change happening in New Zealand with the Government already announcing sweeping changes to the parole system. But it needs to go further, and to stop people committing crime we need to stop them right at the start of their criminal career. A comprehensive overhaul of the youth justice system is the only way to do this."

Regards,

Garth McVicar
National Spokesperson,
Sensible Sentencing Trust.