Three strikes policy will probably not have much of an impact on crime figures...

Three strikes policy will deter criminals from committing further crimes says Police...

Police Minister Judith Collins admits the proposed three strikes policy is harsh, but believes it is warranted. I doubt if it will have much of an impact on crime figures. It may put more serious criminals behind bars for longer thats all..

Under the deal between the National Party and Act, the judge will have to impose the maximum sentence for the crime when an offender is convicted of a third serious offence. Parole will not be an option when a person is convicted of a second or third serious offence.

Ms Collins says by keeping the worst repeat offenders behind bars for longer and deterring criminals from committing further crimes, New Zealand will be a better and safer place.

"The regime will be harsh, but only for the small number of people in our community that show continued and complete disregard for the law and contempt of society."

Garth McVicar from the Sensible Sentencing Trust welcomes the tougher stance.

"They commit an offence, they get sentenced to a minimum sentence, they get out and they reoffend and they go back in again, so they're just being recycled time and time again. This is going to ensure that they don't get out as quickly and there will be fewer victims as a consequence.

?I realize the naysayers and liberals will be highly critical of this law but in reality this is self inflicted, they have no-one else to blame, they are simply getting their just desserts?.

But Labour's Phil Goff claims the policy will not work.

"This will result in about 12 people a year being locked up. Compare that with 8,500 people already in prison. This isn't going to make a great deal of difference, if any, to public security and safety."

Mr Goff says the existing law already provides judges with the ability to refuse recidivist criminals parole and give them longer sentences.




Acknowledgements: © 2010 NZCity, NewsTalkZB

Three stikes for serious crimes only...

Three strikes and you are out? Yeah right! Just more of that watered down legislation we have come to expect from this watered down government. Just get John Key to give one of his dopey grins and evrything should be alright.

It now applies only to capital type crimes of murder, rapes, serious assaults etc. If it had applied across the board as suggested by right wing election campaigners, new prisons would have to be built to accomodate such criminals.