Department of Corrections (New Zealand) - Recidivism

Recidivism

Despite the Department's best efforts, 70% of prisoners reoffend within two years of being released from prison and 52% return to prison within five years (some of them more than once). For teenage prisoners, the recidivism rate (return to prison) is 71%. Parole Board chairman, Judge David Carruthers, believes the lack of halfway houses is a major factor contributing to the country's high recidivism rates. He says that because of its extensive use of such accommodation, Canada is six times more effective than New Zealand at reintegrating prisoners back into the community. The national director of the New Zealand Prison Fellowship, Robin Gunston, says halfway houses would fill a 'massive gap' in the system that has long been neglected by Government. He says in other countries, halfway houses have been shown to reduce recidivism rates to as low as 3% and "The cost would be a third of the cost of keeping them in prison."

In 2012 the Government announced that an extra $65 million would be put into rehabilitation, in an effort to reduce reoffending by 25% within five years. As part of the package, Corrections Minister Anne Tolley indicated the 14,000 offenders who spend time in prison on remand each year would become eligible for rehabilitation for the first time. Rethinking Crime and Punishment spokesman Kim Workman supported the proposals but said it would be difficult to achieve the change given the "very high imprisonment rate" in New Zealand.