New Zealand: imprisoned minorities

Tania Sawicki Mead. One of the big issues is the over-representation of Maoris in the prison population. A Maori is more likely to go to prison and be given a harsher sentence than someone else for a similar infraction. Maoris and other minorities represent only 15% of the country’s population, and yet they make up 50% of the male population and more than 70% of the female population in the prisons. It is the result of true discrimination.

New Zealand also has a prison over-population that has increased very significantly in the last ten years. Curiously, 25% to 30% of the prison population is incarcerated even before being indicted. It allstems from a law passed in 2013, which requires that a person be proven not to be a danger to society in order not to be locked up. As a result, few detainees enjoy the benefit of parole and most prisoners serve their entire sentence.

New Zealand likes to think of itself as a liberal country, but it is conservative in its approach to justice. The public thinks that the justice system is too soft on crime, and politicians follow suit in order to get re-elected.

TSM. Racism is clearly behind this over-representation. It has to do with overall racism as well as structural racism. This translates into poverty, limited access to education, incarceration of parents, etc. It’s the heritage of colonization. Someone who has experienced violence is at greater risk of going to prison. This discrimination is also felt in education, health, etc. which directly affects the high incarceration rate of Maoris. As long as the government does not invest more money into education, health care, and assistance, the over-representation of Maoris in prisons will continue.

** The number of incarcerated women continues to rise. There were 550 women incarcerated four years ago and today there are 772. **

The proportion of incarcerated Maori women has also increased in two years, from 60% to 70%. No one in government seems to have an explanation for the increase. We certainly see a link with problems of addiction and drug trafficking. It must also be pointed out that 75% of incarcerated women have experienced family violence. Violence leads to violence and prisons are exposed to violence. Women are more likely to re-offend, as they receive little support when they are released. Discussions are currently underway to come up with policies to address this problem.

TSM. It was on the previous government’s agenda. The project was inspired by American mega-prisons. Waikeria already exists. It was the only prison that could be expanded because of its location and isolation. However, the government changed in October 2017. Justspeak was able to meet with the current government.

The fact still remains that prisons are not capable of dealing with the increasing prison population.

The mega-prison project was abandoned in May. Nevertheless, the government does not see a decrease in the number of prisoners in the next few years, and believes it is necessary to build new places. The current Waikeria prison will be renovated with 500 more beds and a special mental health unit. It’s a good first step, but it’s not a long term solution. The problem still remains.