August 22, 2013
Ministers claim credit for offending drop
Government ministers are crediting a programme that coordinates the crime prevention work of justice and social sector agencies with bringing down crime.
Justice Minister Judith Collins says the Drivers of Crime programme addresses the underlying causes of crime, which are multiple, inter-related and intergenerational.
Māori Affairs Minister Pita Sharples says while challenges remain in helping people on the fringes, such as hard-to-reach whānau, the successes prove that well-coordinated, real-world based programmes can make a difference.
Offending rates for Māori youth last year were 32 percent on 2008 when the programme started, and the rate of preventable hospitalisations for Māori children aged under 5 from the most deprived areas is down 22 per cent
Alcohol and other drug treatment was imposed as a condition of sentence in 13.1 per cent of imprisonable offence cases in 2012, compared to 6.1 per cent of cases in 2006.
Recent initiatives include the creation of Alcohol and Other Drug Treatment Courts, better reintegration services for low-level offenders and the building of two Whare Oranga Ake reintegration units outside Springhill and Hawkes Bay prisons.
Dr Sharples says the programme is being refreshed to focus more on improving outcomes for Māori and youth, including the promotion of locally-based initiatives to reduce offending.
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