Judith Collins

Wellington, Jan 22 NZPA - The Government's proposed three-strike policy for repeat offenders has come under fire from the prison guards' union, with Corrections Minister Judith Collins fighting back in its defence.

Prime Minister John Key said on Tuesday an agreement had been reached with the ACT party for a new policy which would punish those who continually commit violent or sexual crimes. On their third conviction, offenders would receive the maximum sentence with no hope of parole. It would also boost life sentences to mean exactly that -- currently life means a minimum 10 years jail, or 17 if certain factors are present in the offending.

The policy will be added to the Sentencing and Parole Reform Bill currently under select committee consideration.

It has already come under fire from the Maori Party, academics, lobbyists and even a Christchurch judge. The critics have labelled the policy a hollow political gesture which goes against efforts to reform offenders, removes sentencing judges' ability to exercise discretion and common sense, and could endanger prison guards by exposing them to inmates with nothing to lose.

Corrections Association president Beven Hanlon said the three-strikes law could see prison officers murdered on the job as, without hope of parole, there would be no reason for inmates to behave.

"The whole point is there is no carrot under this new (law)."

He said murderers arriving at Paremoremo Prison often faced sentences of over 20 years.

"That's as bad as it gets. It doesn't matter what they do, they're not going to get anything else done to them, so what's to stop them attacking Corrections officers."

Ms Collins said she was surprised to hear the union arguing that criminals should be freed early because they were considered a threat.

"I am astonished that the union would suggest prisoners they regard as too dangerous to be kept in prison be released back into the community through shorter sentences.

"Our Corrections officers do a great job of managing the country's most difficult and dangerous people, and their safety is a priority. These staff are professionals who are fully committed to keeping the rest of the community safe from these offenders.

"I believe it sends the wrong signal when their union starts making excuses for these hardened criminals."

Ms Collins said the three strikes legislation would use escalating sentences to deter criminals from further offending and bring certainty in the sentencing of the worst offenders.

"While Mr Hanlon might want to give them an easy ride this Government is not prepared to go soft on those repeat violent offenders who might choose to misbehave once in prison.

"This Government is serious about better meeting the needs of the victims of crime. This bill and its three-strikes provisions is an acknowledgement that the justice system exists to serve them, rather than offenders."

Ms Collins had previously defended the proposed law change saying preventive detention would be retained as an option to judges after a Victoria University criminology professor said without it, third-offenders could be released sooner than under the current system.