Prison Fellowship and Rethinking Crime Project welcome Sensible Sentencing's Victims Rights Conference

“The announcement by the Sensible Sentencing Trust that it plans to hold a Conference on Victims Rights in Wellington next year is great news”. That is the response of Kim Workman, Project Leader for the Rethinking Crime and Punishment Project, and National Director, Prison Fellowship.” Garth McVicar announced the Conference publicly today, inviting Nandor Tanczos, Green Party MP to be a guest speaker.

“We are aware of many victims who do not agree with a lot of the policies and views published by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, and who feel that the Trust has no right to represent their views. Not all victims are concerned with extracting retribution, and want government to respond to their needs, as well as their rights. Some feel that they are being exploited by Sensible Sentencing, as a means of gaining support for its “tough on crime’ policies, which have been shown to create more victims rather than less.”

“This Conference will be an opportunity for victims with a range of views and opinions to have their say on the issues affecting them.”

“Many victims were disappointed that the recent Victim’s Rights Conference in Napier, held by the Sensible Sentencing Trust, was by invitation only, and that they were not given the opportunity to attend. We have been advised that the Conference was also closed to the media, with the apparent exception of the Dominion Post and Hawkes Bay Today”.

“What is needed in New Zealand is a public forum in which all victims can put their views, and can have a say on the formation of policy and legislation. That Sensible Sentencing Trust is open to holding such a public conference, and is prepared to listen to a range of views, is a victory for democracy. It will certainly advance the justice reform agenda.

“Prison Fellowship is holding its 25th Anniversary Conference in Upper Hutt on the 16 – 18th May 2008, entitled ‘Blueprint 2008 – Toward a Ten Year Justice Reform Strategy’. It will also be a Public Conference, and open to all media. The two Conferences should serve to make a major impact on justice reform policy in advance of the general election”.

ENDS

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