• Full Story

Inmate compensation plan abandoned

Email
Print

Inmate compensation plan abandoned

3News NZ

Prisoners will now have a chance to keep compensation for ill-treatment after the Government backtracked on a plan that would use the money to help victims.

Former Justice Minister Simon Power introduced a bill that would have paid into a general victims' fund the compensation money still spare after claims by their victims, legal aid costs and reparation were accounted for.

But his successor, Judith Collins, has backtracked, making permanent the current scheme, which would allow prisoners to keep the spare money.

"There was a concern that [the previous] bill may have gone too far and caused unintended injustices by preventing prisoners ever receiving compensation as a remedy for breaches of their rights," she told The New Zealand Herald.

Sensible Sentencing Trust spokesman Garth McVicar was disappointed with the decision, but Rethinking Crime and Punishment spokesman Kim Workman said the scheme still impinged too much on the rights of prisoners.

NZN

Post a Comment

Before commenting, please take the time to read our moderation guide


(Won't be published)



Comments

8/02/2013 10:01:18 p.m.

Herb wrote:

Yes, give the compensation to the prisoners because while they are in jail they need the money for their buy-ups each week. They are allowed up to $70.00 weekly to buy chippies, lollies, and other goods that you and I would not eat in a week. Yes, take the money off the victims and let the criminals splash out with it! Makes sense! Does it!!

24/01/2013 12:29:56 a.m.

jan.. wrote:

Looks like David Bain has to wait a long time for his compensation.

21/01/2013 4:04:20 p.m.

Dan wrote:

If prisoners are mistreated by government employees in prison, the compensation should go to the prisoners that were mistreated, just like the prisoners were put into prison because they mistreated people.

20/01/2013 8:05:34 a.m.

Paddy wrote:

If legislation is made.... that breach's Human rights, the bill of rights, or depries someone of something that they believe, they would have otherwise have been legally entitled to, then of course that law can be appealed, and struck out. For some one to recieve compensation from the goverment, then they must first be a victim themselves. or are we just selecting the victims we wish to support.

19/01/2013 2:35:04 p.m.

Alex wrote:

Paddy, the Supreme Court can't "throw out" legislation like in the U.S. And everyone else - yes, if someone who sold a bit of weed gets beaten and tortured by corrections staff, then they do deserve some compensation from the government.

19/01/2013 1:48:17 p.m.

Kathy wrote:

@Richard, everyone has rights or are you advocating that we become communist china?. As believe it or not the justice system does often get it wrong and their are people in jail who are innocent. Whats in question is do they deserve compensation whilst imprisoned.

18/01/2013 12:59:57 p.m.

BAZRAZ wrote:

typical the victim is always that last to be recognized. Criminals deserve nothing other than had punishment.

18/01/2013 12:38:09 p.m.

Richard wrote:

Prisoners have rights? There lies the problem.

18/01/2013 12:15:29 p.m.

Hine wrote:

What a lot of crock, my daughter was sexually assaulted, the beast went to jail, but she received nothing. She was 13. She went to counselling put in a claim for ACC and got told by a ACC so called specialist that she wouldn't be affected so compensation was denied. And the government is worried about the criminals. Give me a break.

18/01/2013 12:08:05 p.m.

Paddy wrote:

Smoke and mirrors...Promise the world to get elected and then "poof"...it all disapears before your very eye's. Even if this legislation had been passed, and bought into law, it would have been thrown out by the supreme court on appeal. At least National have'nt chosen their usual route of pigheadedly wasting millions of dollars going through that process, on this occasion.