While feeling enormous sympathy for the families of the victims of these crimes, I do not believe the families should not be allowed to take the law into their own hands. The effectiveness of prison surveillance is on trial here but there is also a wider issue – that of prisoner rehabilitation. It is well documented that custodial sentences do not work in terms of returning fully rounded and rehabilitated human beings to a welcoming society once they have served their time. This simply does not happen in most cases. The Sensible Sentencing Trust is a draconian misnomer – there is not a great deal about its message that makes sense. New Zealand simply cannot afford to entertain the ‘lock ‘em up and throw away the key’ mentality of Garth McVicar and his ilk.

New Zealand leads the world in the field of restorative justice for young offenders where progress is being made in returning potentially well rounded citizens to society. Restorative justice methods are being used to some extent also with adult offenders. A better way to proceed would be for the bereaved families to, in their grief, call on the government to institute more restorative justice and rehabilitation programmes in prisons so that those sentenced to custody have a chance to realise their humanity. This may well be the powerful message the government needs to arrest the slashing and burning of such potentially rehabilitative programmes as the community education schemes and the long-standing Prisoner Aid and Rehabilitation Society which, for many prisoners, has been the only source of compassionate accompaniment in their incarceration.

This Weeks Reflections

• Victims’ families want to prosecute (News item)
• You can’t always predict future behaviour
• We always want to blame
• Restorative is more effective

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