Crime & Punishment Study

17 Sep 2010

Jolyon White, Social Justice Enabler for Anglican Care, has produced a helpful set of study resources around the issue of Crime and Punishment. Copies are available for anyone - for more information contact justice@anglicanlife.org.nz.

"Issues of crime and punishment are too important to used as election tokens with penal policy being driven by fear and slogans. Issues of crime and punishment are about how we see ourselves as a country, how we treat the most marginalised among us, how we look after victims, avoid re-victimisation, and more than anything about asking how we make our streets safer rather simply satisfying a need for revenge.

We have a Gospel of reconciliation and forgiveness, a God of justice, and a faith that speaks of transformation. There is huge scope for us to enter the debate in a faithful and reflective way.

Countries that have attempted to move their punishment system away from retribution, asking serious questions about preventing the drivers of crime, rehabilitation, reintegration, and restoration, with an aim to making the streets safer have found four things to be necessary

1: A cross party political accord on crime and punishment
2: Evidence based policy
3: Media restraint in reporting of crime to avoid fear driven policies
4: Raised public awareness to create a political environment that allows the above to take place.

It is hoped these cards will contribute to the last of these points. They provides stories stats and ideas around the issue of crime and punishment. They are intended to be a guide to help in the preparation of a sermon talk or study without being overly prescriptive."

Jolyon White - Social Justice Enbaler, Anglican Care

Links & Articles relating to the 'Crime & Punishment' study

Links

Prison Fellowship http://www.pfnz.org.nz/
Target Communities http://www.pfnz.org.nz/target_community.htm
Sycamore Tree http://www.pfnz.org.nz/sycamore_tree.htm
Rethinking Crime and Punishment http://www.rethinking.org.nz/
The Howard League for Penal Reform http://www.howardleague.co.nz

Online Articles

Blameless Babes - Chief Justice the Rt Hon Dame Sian Elias annual Shirley Smith address http://www.courtsofnz.govt.nz/speechpapers/Shirley%20Smith%202009%20lecture-Blameless%20Babes-9%20July%202009.pdf

Beyond the Holding Tank - Salvation Army Report on Prisons in New Zealand http://salvationarmy.org.nz/uploads/BeyondTheHoldingTank.pdf

Scandinavian Exceptionalism in an Era of Penal Excess - John Pratt http://www.uio.no/studier/emner/jus/ikrs/KRIM4001/h09/undervisningsmateriale/pratt1.pdf

Drivers of Crime - Ministerial Meeting Papers http://www.beehive.govt.nz/feature