Allocating $65 million to improved drug and alcohol and education programmes for prisoners will reduce offending by 25 percent and see 18,500 fewer victims of crime, according to the Government.
Minister of Corrections Anne Tolley and Associate Corrections Minister Pita Sharples announced in a pre-Budget speech today at Rimutaka prison that funding would be reprioritised in this year's Budget for a "more efficient and results-driven public service.''
The Government said 33,100 extra offenders would receive new drug and alcohol treatment programmes and increased education and employment programmes.
Mrs Tolley said two thirds of prisoners had addiction problems and up to 90 per cent could not read or write properly.
She said from 2017 there would be 600 fewer prisoners in jail than in 2011, and 4,000 fewer community offenders.
Dr Sharples said the spending would be targeted toward a more humane response to offending.
"It is cheaper and more effective. Simply sentencing more and more people to longer terms of imprisonment is not sustainable,'' he said.
The ministers said the move was part of the Prime Minister's expectations for a more "efficient and results-driven'' public service.
What the funding would cover:
- Drug and alcohol treatment for an extra 33,100 prisoners.
- Expanded rehabilitation services for 7855 prisoners and community offenders
- An extra 2950 prisoners would receive education and employment training
- Partnerships with employers and industry to employ 7500 prisoners and community offenders
- 41,100 prisoners to get rehabilitation support by probation officers
- 4120 prisoners and community offenders in new rehabilitation services delivered in partnership with iwi and community groups
- 6000 community based offenders accessing new reintegration support programmes from iwi and community groups.
- By Kate Shuttleworth of APNZ
