Last year it was reported that deaths caused by drugged driving had overtaken the drink driving toll for the first time. As Roger Brooking writes, that was fake news. In 2017, 378 people died on New Zealand roads. In June last year, the Automobile Association followed up with a media release claiming “we now have more crash … Read more
The news that the recidivist drunk driver will not be jailed for his latest offence has prompted an outcry. But prison clearly isn’t working, writes Roger Brooking. Isn’t it time we tried something new? News that Gavin Hawthorn has recently been convicted of drink driving yet again has caused oodles of outrage in the media. … Read more
For 15 years justice advocate Roger Brooking has been campaigning for prison reform with an increasing sense of despair. Now, for the first time, he sees reasons to be hopeful. The Labour government is in a tricky situation with regard to justice reform. Justice Minister Andrew Little and Corrections Minister Kelvin Davis want to reduce … Read more
The government is about to make a final decision on a 1500-bed expansion to Waikeria Prison that would make it larger than even the biggest prison in the UK. Anti-expansion campaigner Roger Brooking explains why building more and larger prisons is exactly the wrong solution to our incarceration epidemic. Cutting the prison population by 30% … Read more
After a brief flurry of media interest, the revelation that prisoners had been tied to their beds for up to 16 hours a day has quickly faded from the public consciousness. But that’s par for the course when prison inmates are routinely dehumanised, says Roger Brooking. Three weeks ago, the Ombudsman Peter Boshier issued a … Read more
Addressing addiction issues in prison is one of the best ways we have to drastically cut reoffending rates. If only Corrections took the problem as seriously as it deserves, writes Wellington addiction counsellor Roger Brooking. In April last year, Radio New Zealand reported that the Corrections Department was paying for non-existent alcohol and drug counsellors. The … Read more