Prison population
Sir,—The statement by the Minister of Justice (“The Press,” November 1) that New Zealand’s prison population recently topped 3000 for the first time is a tragic commentary on our society. Ireland, with a comparable population has about 1200 persons in prison; I suggest that our penal policies are excessively punitive and that the judiciary B lacking in imagination if it cannot devise more constructive penalties than prison. However, since more than 50 per cent of the prison population are Maori people, the figure of 3000 really reveals the deeply racist elements in bur mono-cultural legal system. Instead of counting the financial cost to the taxpayer of imprisoning 3000 people, as Mr McLay does, I suggest;; we. the; cost :to. human dignity, to family life and to the deeply-alienated tapgatawhenua, the Maori people.-Yours, GEOFF GRAY. I ; November 3,1981
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Press, 5 November 1983, Page 16
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139Prison population Press, 5 November 1983, Page 16
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