www.brookingblog.com
	RogerBrooking

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.

 

Photos (13)

News (77)

7:58AM
How Serco pulled the wool over Corrections and Mt Eden was rated as 'exceptional' In 2012, the Corrections Department began comparing the effectiveness of its 17 prisons. 203 views

10:40AM
Corrections cuts crime by manipulating the stats In July 2014 the NZ Herald revealed the police have been cooking the crime stats in Papakura. 354 views

9:27AM
Health & Disability Commission endorses inhumane treatment of prisoners No one would be surprised to hear that standover tactics, bullying and violence are rife in prison. 224 views

1:54PM
Sensible sentencing Norwegian style Articles in Britain's Guardian newspaper describe how prisoners are treated like human beings on Bastoy Island. 280 views

8:33AM
Three former prison doctors call for inquiry into prison health services "It's a miracle no one died." 353 views

6:53AM
80% of countries use torture - including New Zealand The Corrections Department subjects prisoners to commonly used psychological torture techniques. 421 views

11:56AM
Where is circuit 8? Regional rates of imprisonment suppressed by VUW academics A fascinating, but somewhat mysterious, piece of research has recently been published in the Australian & New Zealand Journal of Criminology. 585 views

10:03AM
High priced Crown Prosecutors rorting the system 306 views

9:36AM
Criticism of sensible sentencing trust deleted from Wikipedia In the last 18 months, I have made numerous edits to Wikipedia articles on justice issues in New Zealand. 346 views

9:40AM
Prison suicides covered up by GP's Royal College 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. 483 views

11:59AM
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12:20PM
Nurse suspended for 18 weeks on full pay for giving prisoner Raro. Emily Wilson has been a nurse for 30 years but was suspended after an act of kindness to a dehydrated prisoner. 818 views

7:22AM
Officers kill prisoner trying to commit suicide The coroner's report into the death of Nicholas Harris in Waikeria prison last year found officers were 'justified' in their behaviour. 485 views

7:16AM
Prisoner's lives not worth saving - the suicide of Kerry Joll The Dominion Post has just reported the outcome of the coroner's inquiry into the suicide of Kerry Joll. 301 views

12:49PM
How police and probation harass prisoners on parole - the case of Tony Maude 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. 422 views

8:35AM
The media still in bed with Sensible Sentencing Trust 739 views

9:52AM
Crime at an all time low - but we still need another prison New Zealand's crime rate has dropped for the third year in a row. 382 views

6:54AM
Public protection orders for 3,840 high risk prisoners. 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. 207 views

6:16PM
Graeme Burton & Murray Wilson have a lot in common - both were set up to fail Murray Wilson, aka the 'Beast of Blenheim' –  committed his crimes well over 18 years ago. 307 views

6:17PM
Diabetic dying to get out of prison Jane Wilson is 36 year old drug addict with diabetes. 214 views

9:40AM
IPCA - Police watchdog is a real puppy The Independent Police Conduct Authority (generally known as the IPCA) has just released a comprehensive report on police deaths in custody. 169 views

2:20PM
Prison protesters - all they need is a decent meal. New research finds prison violence is linked to poor diet. Supplements containing vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids reduce violence in prisons by 37%. 362 views

9:40PM
Cruelty by Corrections pushes prisoners into suicide The Coroner recently released his findings into the death in prison of Richard John Barriball and was highly critical of staff at OCF. 835 views

7:27AM
Psychological abuse of vulnerable prisoners. The Corrections Department uses sleep deprivation and 'the naked squat' on suicidal prisoners. 367 views

7:51AM
Anne Tolley ratchets up the screws on prisoners. 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. 266 views

7:53AM
Howard League calls for 50% cut in prison population New Zealand's rate of imprisonment is on a par with third world countries wracked by violence and civil war. 535 views

11:19AM
Open letter to Gerry Brownlee - and his little piece of Finland. Dear Gerry, Take your Nokia - your little piece of Finland and call Prof John Pratt who actually knows what he's talking about. 170 views

8:15AM
Drinking too much water to be an offence. 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. 641 views

8:11AM
It doesn't add up - 1,200 empty beds and a new prison 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). 474 views

8:21AM
Department's double standards (the MIRP doesn't work). 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. 398 views