Listen Now: 
February 27, 2017
ACT policy at odds with get tough stance
Waatea Team
Posted On February 27, 2017
Labour's corrections spokesperson Kelvin Davis says ACT's new-found enthusiasm for prison literacy is at odds with its punitive three strikes policy.
ACT leader and sole MP David Seymour told his annual conference in Auckland the party would push for sentence reductions for prisoners who take basic numeracy and literacy courses.
The policy would also benefit better educated prisoners who act as mentors or teachers.
Mr Davis says there are positive aspects to the policy, but it's incompatible with the party's three-strikes thrust of locking prisoners up for longer sentences.
He says it would take a culture change within Corrections.
"The big problem is how do these prisoners pass these numeracy and literacy courses if the courses aren't all that good or the tutors aren't doing a great job. At the moment the rehabilitaiton courses are average at best, so there are a whole lot of other things that need to be fixed up," he says.
FULL INTERVIEW WITH KELVIN DAVIS
Follow us on !["p_facebook"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/facebook.jpg")
& !["p_twitter"]("/site/uma/images/story_img/twitter.jpg")
Copyright © 2017, UMA Broadcasting Ltd: www.waateanews.com
RELATED NEWS
