by James Hartley

Created on: July 21, 2009

Pardon Me? With the prison population in New Zealand at an all time high, it has been said that we need to find ways to reduce, not only the current population, but also the new and recidivist offenders.

I personally have no problem with any of these opinions. At least, not until you hear how it has been proposed we do this!

First of all, we have New Zealand's Chief Justice Dame Sian Elias recommending our justice system let go early all those that do not need to be inside.

Secondly, Howard League for Penal Reform president Peter Williams, QC starts telling us that "there are a large amount of people in our prisons who don't need to be in prison,"

I can but ask, If they don't need to be in prison, why were they sent there? It seems ludicrous to me to start suggesting we let prisoners go because they don't need to be there! Surely, if they didn't need to be there, they wouldn't be there.

I have a simple solution to our prisons over-crowding problem. My promise is not that it will change things over-night, but simply in the long run, we will see many fewer people itching to get themselves cast into the merciful hands of our justice system!

The following is a short list of changes I propose will help our justice system solve the prison population explosion:

Remove all the room comforts our prisoners get. Eg: underfloor heating, air-conditioning, television, etc. Many homes of law-abiding citizens don't have these luxuries, yet their tax money pays for the scum of our country to enjoy these very things. Cause all prisoners to work long, hard, days, no matter the weather. Get them out cleaning up graffiti, picking up rubbish, tidying council gardens, breaking rocks on a chain gang, whatever, just make them work! Without pay.

Make every prisoner work for and earn a degree or trade, so that upon release, they are actually useful to the community. However, I do not agree with the current practice of giving them these qualifications for free! Make them take out a student loan- if the honest people in this country must pay to learn, so should they. Reinstate Capital Punishment. I am a proponent of the Death Penalty in relation to certain crimes (murder, pedophillia, and some other seriously violent crimes). I must state, though, that I believe it should only be used in cases where it is proved the criminal is guilty- without any doubt what-so-ever.

This list of things to do will not fix the country's problem overnight, neither will it remove the problem altogether on its own, but it is a start that will make a gigantic impact on the prison population levels.

Neither releasing prisoners early, nor keeping them out of jail in the first place is going to help our country. All that will do is lead to far greater offending rates as people see how easy they can get away with their crime. Tougher penalties, tougher surroundings, and a tougher life is what is going to turn people from a life of crime!

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