1 00:00:00,360 --> 00:00:02,680 Speaker 1: More new law for courts and sentencing. So the Sentencing 2 00:00:02,680 --> 00:00:05,600 Speaker 1: Reform Amendment Bill that passed its third reading yesterday, this 3 00:00:05,680 --> 00:00:07,720 Speaker 1: is the one that kept the discount. Judges can apply 4 00:00:08,440 --> 00:00:11,920 Speaker 1: repeat discounts for showing remorse. That's gone. Law Association VP. 5 00:00:12,039 --> 00:00:15,480 Speaker 1: Julian Kin Cage back with us. Julian morning, Good morning, Mike. 6 00:00:15,680 --> 00:00:17,479 Speaker 1: Now you submitted. Did they listen to you? 7 00:00:19,079 --> 00:00:21,680 Speaker 2: This is a wonderful example of democracy and action. I 8 00:00:21,680 --> 00:00:23,560 Speaker 2: think there are a lot of people who submitted at 9 00:00:23,600 --> 00:00:27,000 Speaker 2: the select committee stage expressing very similar concerns, and they 10 00:00:27,000 --> 00:00:30,320 Speaker 2: seem to have been reflected in the changes that took 11 00:00:30,400 --> 00:00:36,240 Speaker 2: place after that select committee stage. One of the ideas 12 00:00:36,479 --> 00:00:41,080 Speaker 2: was this forty percent cap which was on all sentencing reductions, 13 00:00:41,120 --> 00:00:43,800 Speaker 2: which was an important part of that new act, and 14 00:00:43,840 --> 00:00:47,559 Speaker 2: that has been softened and it has been now allowing 15 00:00:47,640 --> 00:00:52,920 Speaker 2: four examples, specifically for examples where people provide information which 16 00:00:52,960 --> 00:00:57,600 Speaker 2: prevents further serious crime taking place, and that's seen as 17 00:00:57,600 --> 00:00:58,680 Speaker 2: a recognized exception. 18 00:00:58,840 --> 00:01:00,480 Speaker 1: Would you describe yourself happy? 19 00:01:04,000 --> 00:01:06,720 Speaker 2: I think, and my concern is that we already have 20 00:01:06,800 --> 00:01:10,680 Speaker 2: an terribly high prison population in New Zealand, higher than 21 00:01:10,680 --> 00:01:13,680 Speaker 2: any of our comparable countries at one hundred and eighty 22 00:01:13,680 --> 00:01:17,200 Speaker 2: seven people paer one hundred thousand our ramand space is 23 00:01:17,800 --> 00:01:20,880 Speaker 2: for women. Sixty percent of people women in prison are 24 00:01:20,880 --> 00:01:25,480 Speaker 2: on remand our prisons are full. We have these new 25 00:01:25,600 --> 00:01:29,240 Speaker 2: things coming into play which are designed to make prison 26 00:01:29,280 --> 00:01:32,360 Speaker 2: sentences longer and people to be in prison longer, as 27 00:01:32,360 --> 00:01:34,640 Speaker 2: well as three strikes coming into play in the seventeenth 28 00:01:34,680 --> 00:01:37,399 Speaker 2: of June this year, and these will lead to an 29 00:01:37,400 --> 00:01:40,560 Speaker 2: increase in our prison population, which is already a breaking point. 30 00:01:40,720 --> 00:01:42,720 Speaker 1: Having said that, if you build more prisons, you solve 31 00:01:42,800 --> 00:01:45,360 Speaker 1: that problem and you appease the population. Who would argue 32 00:01:45,360 --> 00:01:47,560 Speaker 1: we want more people in jail, even though I'm sure 33 00:01:47,600 --> 00:01:48,600 Speaker 1: you would argue against that. 34 00:01:49,360 --> 00:01:51,400 Speaker 2: I understand that people say that, but you've got to 35 00:01:51,560 --> 00:01:54,120 Speaker 2: also understand it cost one hundred and fifty thousand dollars 36 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:56,400 Speaker 2: about to keep a person in prison for a year 37 00:01:56,400 --> 00:01:58,640 Speaker 2: in New Zealand. So that's ten more people in jail 38 00:01:58,840 --> 00:02:01,960 Speaker 2: for one year at each is one point five million, 39 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:05,520 Speaker 2: and that would pay I'm sure for a palliative pediatric 40 00:02:05,640 --> 00:02:07,160 Speaker 2: doctor to come to New Zealand. 41 00:02:07,960 --> 00:02:09,720 Speaker 1: Last time I looked through was one hundred thousand. So 42 00:02:09,760 --> 00:02:11,320 Speaker 1: there is inflation for you has gone up to one 43 00:02:11,360 --> 00:02:11,960 Speaker 1: hundred and fifty. 44 00:02:12,000 --> 00:02:14,520 Speaker 2: What haven't they Well, I googled it last sight. It's 45 00:02:14,600 --> 00:02:18,760 Speaker 2: very difficult to give an actual figure because it depends 46 00:02:18,800 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 2: on the security risk of someone in prison. Someone who's 47 00:02:22,800 --> 00:02:24,760 Speaker 2: high security, it costs a lot more to keep them 48 00:02:25,360 --> 00:02:27,520 Speaker 2: than someone who's low security. So that's why there's always 49 00:02:27,560 --> 00:02:28,239 Speaker 2: going to be a variance. 50 00:02:28,360 --> 00:02:30,600 Speaker 1: Forget the politics for a moment. If you want to 51 00:02:30,919 --> 00:02:34,280 Speaker 1: put people in jail longer, does this law do that? 52 00:02:37,000 --> 00:02:41,280 Speaker 2: It'll help. And it does focus a lot on recidivist offending. 53 00:02:41,440 --> 00:02:44,320 Speaker 2: So where there's where they once didn't want anyone to 54 00:02:44,360 --> 00:02:47,440 Speaker 2: have a reduction for youth and remorse, what they're saying 55 00:02:47,560 --> 00:02:50,720 Speaker 2: is they don't want that being a repeated mitigating factor. 56 00:02:51,160 --> 00:02:54,799 Speaker 2: And so those are points which I think people can 57 00:02:54,880 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 2: understand why concerns have been expressed and the government is 58 00:02:57,960 --> 00:02:58,640 Speaker 2: trying to act on that. 59 00:02:58,720 --> 00:03:01,400 Speaker 1: Julian always appreciate you. Julian can care. Who's the Law 60 00:03:01,440 --> 00:03:04,520 Speaker 1: Association VP with us this morning. For more from the 61 00:03:04,560 --> 00:03:07,600 Speaker 1: Mic Asking Breakfast, listen live to News Talks at b 62 00:03:07,760 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: from six am weekdays, or follow the podcast on iHeartRadio.