July 08, 2016
Collins’ bail regime fueling gang recruitment
Corrections Minister Judith Collins has been fingered for a sharp increase in gang recruitment.
Ms Collins this week justified barring long time gang member Ngapari Nui from volunteering at Whanganui Prison by saying gang members in the prison population has risen from 15 percent to 30 percent since 2008.
Kim Workman, an adjunct research associate at Victoria University’s Institute of Criminology, says that’s a direct consequence of the bail and sentencing policies she brought in during her last spell as Justice Minister.
He says most prison gang recruitment occurs when a young offender is remanded in custody and is targeted by older gang members.
The best way to prevent that is to bail offenders and keep them away from older gang predators.
But changes to the bail laws in 2013 reversed the burden of proof so defendants now have to prove they are eligible for bail, and the presumption in favour of bail for 17 to 19 year olds was removed.
With police opposing bail more frequently and changes to legal aid meaning many young Maori appear without adequate legal representation, the remand population has increased by 40 percent over the past two years.
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