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Maori Party on Crime and Punishment

The United States has the highest incarceration rate as well as the highest number of documented prisoners in the world. As such, how the United States defines crime and the terms of consequence for violations is an immensely important issue. This topic includes information about candidate positions on: the death penalty, hate crimes, drug policy, and mandatory minimum sentencing.

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The issues

Maori Party strongly opposes a non-parole policy where repeat violent offenders serve their full prison terms, often called a "life means life" policy

The Maori Party strongly opposes such policies. A spokesperson says, “it promotes Maori-developed and -delivered tikanga-based, restorative justice, including marae-based diversion and restorative justice programmes, to reduce reoffending. We will reduce the use of imprisonment as the priority response to offending”.

Maori Party strongly opposes either outlawing gangs or making membership of gangs an aggravating factor in sentencing

The focus of the Maori Party is on criminal behaviour, not the person or their Clothes, a spokesperson says. “We aim to strengthen whanau to appropriately care for their members. We will require all government agencies to recognise and work with whanau on all issues that affect them”. Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples said in a policy statement, “John Key seems to be deliberately confusing the two issues, drugs and gangs, for political point-scoring. His proposals for making gang membership a crime, and an aggravating factor in sentencing, could create legal loopholes around the definition of a gang, for example. That is why it is better to focus on the crime, not the gang patch.”

Maori Party opposes paying compensation to victims of crime

The Maori Party doesn’t have a policy specifically endorsing compensation payments. A spokesperson says it supports a restorative justice system, where victims are empowered and the community is integral to bolster relationships and reduce crime. Restoration of the role of the collective is important. Maori Party co-leader Pita Sharples headlined a statement in March 2006, “Prison for twelve year olds?: Absolutely Not”. “If you lock up twelve-year olds then you are guaranteeing yet another crime training ground - and worse still - amongst young fertile minds”.

Maori Party strongly opposes lowering the age of criminal prosecution from the current age of 14

The party strongly opposes lowering the age of criminal prosecution. A spokesperson says: “For the Maori Party, children are our greatest wealth and their care is our priority. We will reduce the use of imprisonment as the priority response to offending, and advocate for the use of Maori developed and delivered tikanga-based, restorative forums and programmes, including marae-based diversion and whole-of-whanau restorative initiatives, for young people involved in criminal activity”.

Maori Party is neutral on private sector management of prisons

The Maori Party is opposed to privatisation and public-private partnerships which facilitate it. However it does support management of prisons by organisations other than the Crown. A spokesperson says, “Instead, we favour iwi-public Treaty-based partnerships for the management of prisons”.