Prisons

Prejudice in NZ

50.3% Maori - 32% European - 11.5% Pasifika

• 1985 - 2015 : Maori more likely then europeans to be sent to prison

• correlation for crime and deprivation in upper north island

• conclusion = crime occurs where people live in poverty

Prison in Norway

• 1970s - abolition of forced labor, 1975s - juvenile delinquency centres, 1990s - a focus on rehabilitation

• cost = $48.79 per person

• officers as role models, coaches, mentors not guards (train 2-3 years)

• period for recidivism is 2 years (20%)

• Intent is the restriction of liberty (freedom) but prisoner has all other rights included (even right to vote)

• 60% are “closed” —> walls and fences around prison

Why do norwegian prisons work?

• U.S. prisons control (incarcerate) and punish (restrict rights, rewards)

• Norwegian prisons control (incarcerate) but do so with respect for inmates and rehabilitate (discussion, mentoring)

• But this is exactly the same for parenting styles with children!

• Norwegian prisons ≃ authoritative parenting

Death penalities

• the evidence of ineffectiveness can be avoided by claims that improvements will be made

• states with no death penalty have a larger difference then states with no death penalty.

Ineffective policies

• boot camps

• death sentences

Koehler et al (2012)

• Behavioural: teach thinking skills, social skills and problem solving, reinforcement of behavioural change -

• Non-Behavioural: vocational training, restorative justice, probation support

• Intensive Supervision and Deterrance: boot camps, control-based supervision, amplified sanctions (punishment)

• Conclusion: “Cognitive-behavioral and behavioral treatments showed larger effects than other types of programs. Nonbehaviorally-oriented programs revealed no significant positive effect, whereas deterrence- and supervision-based interventions even resulted in slightly (although not significantly) increased recidivism. These findings are in accordance with North American research.”

Prison in US

• Large emphasis on punishment in addition to rehabilitation

• The highest incarceration rate of any country in the world

• 1 out of every 151 people in prison in the U.S.

• Cost = $80,000,000,000 ($80 billion)

• Cost = $60.61/person

Prison in NZ

• 1 in 142 Māori in prison

• 1 in 808 non-Māori in prison

  Why?

• Māori sent to prison when non-Māori not sent to prison for same crime à prejudice

• Poverty

Crime Rate Versus Deprivation Rate in NZ: Poverty

There is a correlation with the higher levels of poverty and the crime rate - more concentrated areas of poverty produce higher levels of crime in NZ.

Bootcamps and re-imprisonment

militaristic boot camps make no difference

Canada vs Norway

Norway

• eliminated life sentences, focused on rehabilitation, prisoners maintain community connections, govern their own lives

• 1990 - 2-year rate - 65%

• 2005 - 2-year rate - 20%

• 2007 - 2-year rate - 20%

Canada

• 1995 - 2-year rate - 44%

• 2003 - 2-year rate - 44%

• 2017 - 2-year rate - 41%

Overal conclusion

• Coercive (authoritarian) parenting does not produce good outcomes

• Coercive approaches to misbehaviour (e.g., prisons, youth offenders, murderers) do not produce good outcomes à they don’t deter bad behaviour

• Children and adults respond in similar ways to how they are treated

• What works best is treating others with respect and dignity, discussing things

• Control is warranted, but tough love and tough on crime produce work outcomes – they simply don’t work

• Will the discussion work with everyone? —> No, but it’s more effective than coercion