31 January 2005

NZ First Calls For Home Detention Review

New Zealand First law and order spokesperson Ron Mark says it is time the Government reviewed the rules for home detention because it is now a meaningless punishment.

Mr Mark’s comments follow reports that a convicted drug dealer on home detention was allowed to travel from Wellington to Christchurch without an escort or anklet monitor and without any knowledge by the airline that she was a home detainee. She was collected from Christchurch airport by her co-offending partner instead of by a probation officer.

“Home detention is an unsupervised mess and at best offers only a token deterrent to criminals,” said Mr Mark.

“It simply isn’t good enough to have convicted criminals on home detention travelling unsupervised. Even more ridiculous is the fact that the Wellington Probation Service had failed to arrange for a probation officer to collect this woman from the Christchurch airport until the last minute, having initially authorised pick-up by her co-offending partner.

“This is a blatant demonstration of the Corrections Department’s sloppy handling of criminals.

“It also sends a dangerous message that people guilty of committing crime may be left at home with countless opportunities to continue offending.

“It is high time the Government reviewed the system because it is obvious that conditions to home detention are not being policed effectively,” concluded Mr Mark.

ENDS

© Scoop Media