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Focus on Healing

Entry 989, on 2009-04-15 at 20:45:23 (Rating 3, Politics)

I saw a news article today which I predict will elicit a strong response from my right-wing friends within a day or two. In fact, if it had come from a Labour lead government I think I would have heard from them already. They are probably trying to deal with the confusion of a "loony left" policy being considered by their beloved right-wing government. I can only imagine how confusing it must be to their tiny minds!

So what is this news? Its the idea of running a separate prison for Maoris where "the inmates go flatting and the focus is on healing." Does this sound like a policy likely to have come from the same government as the one proposing "three strikes and you're out?" The idea comes from Pita Sharples but the National Party is open to the concept and the corrections minister, Judith Collins, is very keen on the idea if it can be shown to reduce the Maori crime rate.

Of course National is in coalition with two incompatible partners: Act and the Maori party. I don't envy them the task of making that sort of arrangement work. Its particularly funny that, before the election, they were warning us about the possibility of a similar coalition centered on Labour if they had won!

But all that aside, is this a good idea? Well I think its a much better one than the "three strikes" nonsense being pushed by Act. We already have good reason to think that won't work but creating a positive environment which encourages rehabilitation just might.

Its unfortunate that this is limited to Maori and linked to learning to speak Maori. I don't agree with either of those limitations because if a particular approach to rehabilitation is worth trying is it not worth trying on anyone whatever racial background they are from, and what does learning a language really have to do with it?

So I think the critics who point out these issues have a point but that doesn't mean the idea isn't worth trying in principle, but I suspect that's the approach the political right will take because they would never let their hard-line attitudes to crime be compromised by accepting an alternative based on rehabilitation.

Comment 13 (1974) by SBFL on 2009-04-20 at 03:57:38: (view earlier comments)

As long as you are admitting it's speculation, I'm happy to leave it at that.

Well I quoted Pita Sharples earlier on what he called the last person who referred to it as a separate prison. Enough said.

Comment 14 (1982) by OJB on 2009-04-20 at 19:35:58:

OK, it seems to depend on how you define a prison. I still say that the proposal is for a place people are held in while serving a sentence - sounds like a prison to me. OK, so its only for the last part of the sentence for rehab purposes, but let's just leave it because I don't think that's important anyway.

Comment 15 (1990) by SBFL on 2009-04-21 at 07:05:02:

Fair enough. Interesting to hear what Laila Harre had to say of Clayton Cosgrove

Comment 16 (1997) by OJB on 2009-04-21 at 11:47:46: OK, what's your point?

Comment 17 (2003) by OJB on 2009-04-26 at 13:57:34:

In the latest interview with Pita Sharples I heard he said that this rehabilitation period would occur after the jail term was complete and that speaking Maori would not be a prerequisite although that's the language that would be spoken in the unit (why?). If that is true then my major objections are removed. But if someone proposes a rehab center for white offenders only which concentrates on western culture I would expect the Maori party should support it.

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