Three Strikes Law passed in New Zealand

[Neo_Kuja]

So in the last few days the "Three Strikes" legislation has been passed in New Zealand for serious crimes such as aggravated robbery, sexual assault and murder. Any person convicted and judged guilty of any of the three crimes (separate times - that is, after separate jail terms) above now has the following schedule :

First Offense : Normal Sentence (1/3rd of maximum time with parole)
Second Offense : Maximum Sentence (No Parole)
Third Offense : Maximum Sentence - For Murder, "Life" means "Life Term"

[Source]

For Example :

Under the proposed a law, a 20-year-old sentenced next year to four years for robbery, would be eligible for parole after serving a third of the sentence.

If he committed another robbery and was sentenced to five years he would have to serve all five years in prison.

If he committed a third robbery and carried a baseball bat, making it an aggravated robbery, he would have to be sentenced to 14 years and would serve 14 years.

Interestingly, a good portion of public opinion on the street is supportive of the law (see the comments section of the aforementioned newspaper for some), while newspapers and other sources appear to be quite critical of the law - "More danger of Prison Guard Murder" and the like, due to hardened criminals on their third go having nothing to lose. The labour party (equivalent to the American Democrat party) is also having a field day due to the law being "ineffective" and not being as harsh as was originally intended.

Nevermind that rehabilitation has been ineffective at curing serial offenders that continually get out early due to our "fair" parole system (Burton, Bell, Kururiki, etc).

Opinions, anyone ?

 

[Noodle]

You'd think after the murderer killed the second person they'd quit letting him out of prison...

 

[Warped]

if we had rehabilitation clinics instead of prisons people may have a higher success rate with prison, but in fact most will continue to commit crimes of similar nature

 

[xdrive]

I think this system is crap, but it's better then what Australia has. Australia's courts are so light on punishment. You can murder someone and just 2 years prison. Plus they always have suspended sentences etc.

I think 3 strikes should be reduced to 2 strikes.

first time, You serve 1/3 of the term

second time, life in prison even if it's just for a crime such as armed robbery.


We don't need this kind of shit happening, and tbh if you are going to do such things as that, you are a danger to the community and should be locked away for ever.

That's bullshit giving someone who sexually assaults people 3 strikes, that's 3 girls that will be sexually assaulted. (if he actually doesnt stop)

 

[kineaesth]

second time, life in prison even if it's just for a crime uch as armed robbery.

Are you at all aware of how massively overloaded most country's prison systems are? In New Zealand we're being forced to incarcerate prisoners in substandard, insecure conditions because of a huge lack of funding and space for new prisons or extensions to existing prisons.

 

[Shyam]

Are you at all aware of how massively overloaded most country's prison systems are? In New Zealand we're being forced to incarcerate prisoners in substandard, insecure conditions because of a huge lack of funding and space for new prisons or extensions to existing prisons.

I think that's the main argument against this legislation. A lot of tax payer dollars are spent on prisons and prisoners and with this law in effect, the prison population is only going to increase.

 

[xdrive]

Are you at all aware of how massively overloaded most country's prison systems are? In New Zealand we're being forced to incarcerate prisoners in substandard, insecure conditions because of a huge lack of funding and space for new prisons or extensions to existing prisons.

In New Zealand we're being forced to incarcerate prisoners in substandard

Noooo! They are getting any playstations and tvs like the other prisons! substandard.

Arguing that we all shouldn't be tough on crime because of the lack of prision space is just dwon right wrong.

Infact it's encouraging crime because if people know they won't go to jail when they commit a crime, they will just do it.

If there is not enough prisons, build more prisons. If there isn't enough funding, get funding from other places...... hmmmm i think we can start with the 5,000 dollars lunches and the 30,000 dollar taxpayer funded holidays.

 

[Krynn72]

Oh look at me I'm xdrive and I think managing an entire country's budget is as easy as telling people to not spend money on other things!

 

[xdrive]

Oh look at me I'm xdrive and I think managing an entire country's budget is as easy as telling people to not spend money on other things!

I know managing a countries budget isnt easy, but what i am saying is that money that gets spent on absolute shit should be taken and spent on things such as more prisons.

In my country there has been numerous times where government mps have gone on $30,000 dollar taxpayer funded vacations. So your telling me it would be hard for the government to say "oi, stop doing that" rofl? They don't need to make a bill in parliament to stop people in government using taxpayers money for there own personal purposes moron.

 

[Krynn72]

I know managing a countries budget isnt easy, but what i am saying is that money that gets spent on absolute shit should be taken and spent on things such as more prisons.

In my country there has been numerous times where government mps have gone on $30,000 dollar taxpayer funded vacations. So your telling me it would be hard for the government to say "oi, stop doing that" rofl? They don't need to make a bill in parliament to stop people in government using taxpayers money for there own personal purposes moron.

Yes, telling the people who run the government to stop spending money on shit for themselves is soooo easy. My point wasn't that it was complicated and difficult to do mathematically, it was that getting people to give a shit and actually stop wasting money is much easier said than done.... moron.

 

[VirusType2]

-The punishment for a 1st offense should be hard, but fair. You don't want to give them too much time in the 'animal house.' But you definitely don't want it to be a slap on the wrist.

They should want to never come back, but not stay too long - you don't want them to get comfortable, make friends, and get used to it. It becomes a part of their life they will never forget.

-Second offense should be considerably more severe, but at the same time, a little lenient. You want to give them a chance. A long time in prison (even just a month, if they feel the crime wasn't a big deal) could simply turn them into a murdering monster, believe me. Really need to convince the criminal that it is a big deal.

-Third offense should be case by case. That's all I can say. They might deserve another chance, maybe not. All depends on the circumstances.

For example, I had 7 driving on suspended license, and could have done several years in prison, because they had created a 3-strike policy in the mean-time. I was young, (starting at 16), and had no idea this shit was even serious (uh, what you going to give me a ticket?) until I spent more than a couple nights in jail, because when I spent 30 days in prison, I knew I was never doing that shit again. I almost killed someone one night over a slightly disrespectful tone. Like I said, in prison, it will turn you into an animal. I am a man, but I am definitely not a particularly violent person.

In my opinion, a 3-strikes policy isn't really a good idea. Each person should be evaluated differently. Some people just don't get it. Some may actually be in need of serious mental help, support, and influence - hey if you're going to pay for prison, might as well pay for psychiatric care!

But, in my case, it was a victim-less crime, so it is definitely different. People shouldn't be allowed to run free harming others.

 

[unozero]

Want all country's need to is legalize Weed but impose stricter punishments on violent crimes.So it evens out.

 

[VirusType2]

I tend to agree, unozero. I remember - last year - reading that 1/4 Americans were in prison... How many didn't really need to be there?

 

[xdrive]

Yes, telling the people who run the government to stop spending money on shit for themselves is soooo easy. My point wasn't that it was complicated and difficult to do mathematically, it was that getting people to give a shit and actually stop wasting money is much easier said than done.... moron.

lol now you change what you say.

Want all country's need to is legalize Weed but impose stricter punishments on violent crimes.So it evens out.

I don't think weed should be legalized. But i think fines people should just receive fines if they are caught with drugs. It's stupid to send drug users to jail, when it won't solve anything. Their should be sentence increases for drug dealers and drug manufacturers, put them away and there will be less drugs for everyone.

 

[Solaris]

I tend to agree, unozero. I remember - last year - reading that 1/4 Americans were in prison... How many didn't really need to be there?

LOL it's 1/100.

 

[Sparta]

In 2007 it was more like 1/31

http://www.cnn.com/2009/CRIME/03/02/record.prison.population/

I think the statistic Virustype2 was thinking off, was that the U.S. has 1/4 of the world's prison population. I'm take a wild guess here and say that's largely because of the disastrous war on drugs.

 

[kineaesth]

Noooo! They are getting any playstations and tvs like the other prisons! substandard.

Yeah. Also substandard like they can escape.

 

[Krynn72]

lol now you change what you say.

Oh look at me I'm xdrive and I think managing an entire country's budget is as easy as telling people to not spend money on other things!

Yes, telling the people who run the government to stop spending money on shit for themselves is soooo easy. My point wasn't that it was complicated and difficult to do mathematically, it was that getting people to give a shit and actually stop wasting money is much easier said than done.... moron.

Quit being stupid.

 

[Shyam]

Quit being stupid.

Krynn, now you are just asking too much from him.