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Corrections cuts crime by manipulating the stats

Sunday 3 August 2014, 10:40AM

By ADAC

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In July 2014 the NZ Herald revealed the police have been cooking the crime statistics in Papakura. Now Wellington alcohol and drug counsellor, Roger Brooking, has revealed that the Corrections Department is doing the same thing - but on a much bigger scale. 

Corrections claims it is on track to achieve its goal of a reduction in reoffending of 25% by 2017. The Department says this will mean 600 fewer prisoners re-imprisoned one year after release, and 4,000 fewer offenders reconvicted within a year of beginning their community-based sentence.

Mr Brooking said that that Corrections is manipulating the statistics and only selecting those which suit their purpose. He says that it is totally misleading to use statistics based on when offenders begin their community-based sentence. It should be based on when they finish their sentence. Mr Brooking said:

"The way Corrections measures the reoffending of criminals subject to a community-based sentence is like measuring the reoffending rate of prisoners on the day they start their prison sentence.  It's not easy to commit crime in prison. No wonder the reoffending stats are down."

For more on this story go to Corrections cuts crime with the selective use of statistics.