11. MARTIN GALLAGHER (Labour—Hamilton West) Link to this
to the Minister of Corrections
What is the Government doing to promote drug and alcohol rehabilitation in prisons?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR (Minister of Corrections) Link to this
Under the Effective Interventions package, which the Government announced last week, the Department of Corrections will be significantly increasing the number of drug treatment placements within prisons. We will also be expanding the availability in the community of drug, alcohol, and mental health services for offenders.
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
I have seen two. First, an editorial in the Nelson Mail stated: “Of real significance … is the funding of two new prison alcohol and drug units, and two general purpose rehabilitation units. The second report stated: “There has never been a stronger argument for effective rehabilitation programmes.” That comment came from Simon Power, and we welcome his support.
Simon PowerCan he confirm that the number of prisoners testing positive for amphetamine-type drugs since 1999 has increased five times; and, after 7 years in office, why is the Government doing something about it only now—given that only 74 inmates completed a drug treatment programme last year, yet 83 percent of inmates have drug or alcohol dependency?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
The member is rather liberal with the statistics. Although there has been an increase in the number of people tested for methamphetamine, the total number of people who have been identified through random drug-testing as using drugs in prison is the lowest level ever—far lower than under the previous Government—and we will continue to do random testing to identify those people.
Ron MarkIs the Minister aware that of the 105,000-odd convictions in 2005— approximately 80 percent of which were alcohol and drug related—sentencing judges ordered less than 4 percent of offenders to undergo counselling and/or treatment programmes; if so, does it concern him that judges themselves may be contributing to the high levels of recidivism and reimprisonment rates, through their reluctance to order rehabilitative treatment as part of the sentence handed down, and what is his Government going to do about that situation?
Hon DAMIEN O'CONNOR Link to this
The Government is doing a number of things about that. We are improving the screening process for those issues, when prisoners come into prison. We have, through Effective Interventions, identified the need for a greater amount of drug and alcohol treatment, both within prison and within the community. We are confident that judges, knowing of these extra facilities, will sentence those prisoners to undertake drug and alcohol programmes.