ADAC
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Mr Brooking is a spokesman for the Howard League for Penal Reform. He is also the author of a criticial expose of New Zealand justice system: Flying Blind - How the justice system perpetuates crime and and the Corrections department fails to correct.
Br Brooking has worked as an alcohol and drug counsellor in Wellington for over 10 years. He provides comprehensive alcohol and drug assessments on offenders who end up in Court with alcohol and drug related offending. He also provides AOD reports to the Parole Board on inmates seeking to attend a substance abuse treatment programme in the community on release.
He has also made numerous submissions to government on the need for increased treatment opportunities for alcoholics and drug addicts and frequently appears as a commentator in the media on such topics. His particular concern is the lack of opportunities for offenders who appear in Court (and in prison) but get little or no help with their substance abuse problems and so continue to re-offend.
In 2012, the Corrections Department began comparing the effectiveness of its 17 prisons.
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In July 2014 the NZ Herald revealed the police have been cooking the crime stats in Papakura.
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No one would be surprised to hear that standover tactics, bullying and violence are rife in prison.
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Articles in Britain's Guardian newspaper describe how prisoners are treated like human beings on Bastoy Island.
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"It's a miracle no one died."
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The Corrections Department subjects prisoners to commonly used psychological torture techniques.
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A fascinating, but somewhat mysterious, piece of research has recently been published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology.
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In the last 18 months, I have made numerous edits to Wikipedia articles on justice issues in New Zealand.
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Since 2008, more than 75 people have died in New Zealand prisons – where the suicide rate is 11 times higher than in the general population.
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Emily Wilson has been a nurse for 30 years but was suspended after an act of kindness to a dehydrated prisoner.
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The coroner's report into the death of Nicholas Harris in Waikeria prison last year found officers were 'justified' in their behaviour.
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The Dominion Post has just reported the outcome of the coroner's inquiry into the suicide of Kerry Joll.
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The police raided every house he stayed at - his mother died, his engagement broke up, and his ex-partner took off to Christchurch with his daughter - then he relapsed.
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New Zealand's crime rate has dropped for the third year in a row.
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Judith Collins claims only a very small number of prisoners will meet the criteria - but the Corrections Department says 3,840 will meet the criteria over ten years.
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Murray Wilson, aka the 'Beast of Blenheim' – committed his crimes well over 18 years ago.
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The Independent Police Conduct Authority (generally known as the IPCA) has just released a comprehensive report on police deaths in custody.
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New research finds prison violence is linked to poor diet. Supplements containing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids reduce violence in prisons by 37%.
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The Coroner recently released his findings into the death in prison of Richard John Barriball and was highly critical of staff at OCF.
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The Corrections Department uses sleep deprivation and 'the naked squat' on suicidal prisoners.
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Section 5 of the Corrections Act requires that prisons are "operated in accordance with rules ... that are based on the United Nations Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoners.
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New Zealand's rate of imprisonment is on a par with third world countries wracked by violence and civil war.
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Dear Gerry, Take your Nokia - your little piece of Finland and call Prof John Pratt who actually knows what he's talking about.
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A Bill has just passed its first reading in Parliament which will enable prisoners to be charged with an offence for drinking too much water.
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Last week, the Government announced that two old prisons will close – Wellington's Mount Crawford Prison (which holds 120 prisoners) and the New Plymouth prison (which holds 112).
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The Government has set 10 targets for the public sector to achieve over the next three to five years - including a reduction in criminal re-offending.
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The Government has just given the green light to build a new 960 bed prison at Wiri to be run by Serco.
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Internet tycoon Kim Dotcom recently spent a month in the Auckland Central Remand prison (ACRP) after the US government persuaded New Zealand police that his file sharing company, Megaupload, was infringing US copyright laws.
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The Department of Corrections has been deleting information about the Department on a page on Wikipedia.
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The NZ Herald reported today (February 21) that Serco, the operator of Mt Eden prison has been fined $150,000 after a prisoner escaped.
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On December 11, the NZ Herald reported that the families of those killed by William Bell gathered to remember those they lost in the Panmure RSA ten years ago.
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Tamsin Marshall is copying the sensible sentencing trust's nonsensical approach to crime.
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On January 7, the New Zealand Herald reported the story of James Whenuaroa – sentenced to prison for six weeks for stealing a bottle of orange juice from a supermarket.
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AUCKLAND CITY — In October, 2011 former National Finance director Trevor Ludlow was sentenced to five years and seven months in jail.
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New Zealanders want the Government to toughen up - not by putting more people in prison but by tackling the death and social destruction caused by binge drinking.
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United Future's Peter Dunne has just thrashed out an agreement with Prime Minister John Key whereby Mr Dunne retains his role as associate Minister of Health and National will implement a number of United Future's policies.
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The Waikato Times reports that a Hamilton woman died in prison of a heart condition after her calls for help were ignored by guards.
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A story in the Taranaki Daily News reports that 33 year old sickness beneficiary Steven Bunyan, has just been sent to prison for the 38th time.
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Last week the Sunday Star Times ran article about Flying Blind, Roger Brooking's critically acclaimed expose of the New Zealand Justice system.
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TV reviewer Gordon Brown has written an extraordinary opinion piece in the Taranaki Daily News - 'Make prisoners pay'
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Last week, Simon Power announced he wants to toughen up the bail laws and make it harder for offenders to be granted bail before appearing in Court.
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The Corrections Amendment Bill may put prisoners' lives at risk.
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In the last ten years, the prison population has increased 46%. Now it's on the decline.
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Prof Doug Sellman, Director of the National Addiction Centre at the University of Otago, has welcomed Don Brash's call for a change in our cannabis laws.
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New Zealand is missing out on an estimated $860 million in potential revenue because of cannabis prohibition laws.
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Judith Collins claims: "There are now record numbers of prisoners engaged in employment and education within our prisons." Sure - but most of them are doing menial jobs like cleaning, laundry and gardening.
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The 'war on drugs' has failed and its time to adopt evidence based drug policy.
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Currently the proceeds of crime are being frittered away by police.
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Last week, the Dominion Post reported the sad case of Mr Craig Andrew Blair who robbed a bank - not for financial gain but so that he would be sent back to prison.
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Approximately 20,000 people spend time in New Zealand prisons every year and most are excluded from rehabilitation programmes.
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WELLINGTON — National MPs don't want to read Roger Brooking's new book 'Flying Blind' - so he has 53 copies to give away.
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Corrections Minister, Judith Collins is a master of misinformation.
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Compared with other Western democracies, New Zealand is keen on sending its citizens to prison.
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The current Minister of Corrections, Judith Collins mistakenly believes prisons deter criminal offending.
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Where, what and why is Whare Oranga Ake?
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They need to commit more serious crimes....
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Prisoners can still make calls from inside prisons.
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Perhaps Corrections Minister Judith Collins should be known as the Minister of Band Aid.
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90% of prisoners have sub-standard literacy.
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Judith Collins is captain of the ship called Corrections.
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To put it politely, Corrections Minister Judith Collins is an accomplished spinner:
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Wellington alcohol and drug counsellor Roger Brooking has offered to give a free copy of his critical expose of the justice system to every member of Parliament.
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The Corrections Department ignores it's statutory obligations under Section 43 (1a) of the Parole Act.
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Wellington alcohol and drug counselor Roger Brooking has released a new book about the failure of the justice system to assist offenders into rehabilitation.
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Up to 3,000 children in New Zealand are born with fetal alcohol syndrome every year, while the liquor industry profits from the suffering.
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In an unprecedented public stand, over 300 of New Zealand's leading doctors and nurses have attacked the liquor industry for the way in which it markets alcohol "in the face of the enormous personal and social damage that heavy use of alcohol is causing".
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"NZ is a nation of drunks", says Auckland's mayor, John Banks after withdrawing proposed bylaw changes which would have complelled most suburban bars to close by midnight.
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Compared with influenza pandemics, alcohol is by far the worst pandemic the world has ever known.
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WELLINGTON — Professor Doug Sellman of the National Addiction Centre at Otago University yesterday launched a nationwide speaking tour at Cutting Edge - the annual conference of the Addiction Treatment sector in New Zealand.
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Roger Brooking recently made a submission to Government that funding for addiction in New Zealand needs to be increased by 600%.
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