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The National 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

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

Under National’s policy, people who commit a violent offence that earns them a prison sentence of five years or more – regardless of whether or not they serve the full term – will not be eligible for parole if they commit a subsequent violent offence that receives a sentence of five years or more. That five-year threshold will include crimes such as attempted murder, kidnapping, sexual violation and attempted sexual violation, indecent assault, aggravated robbery and burglary, grievous assault, and some serious assaults. This policy will also apply to those who commit murder if they have previously been sentenced to five years or more for a serious violent offence. They will serve their full life sentence inside prison.

The National Party strongly supports either outlawing gangs or making membership of gangs an aggravating factor in sentencing

National will strengthen the provisions in the law that make it illegal to be a member of a criminal organization and amend the Sentencing Act to make gang membership an aggravating factor in sentencing, according to their law and order policy statement.

The National Party strongly supports paying compensation to victims of crime

National policy is to put victims first by establishing a Victim Compensation Scheme, improving the services that victims receive, and enhancing victims’ rights. The Victim Compensation Scheme (VCS) will be funded by a levy - envisaged to be $50 - on all offenders at sentencing. The VCS will help victims with one-off expenses not covered by ACC or other state help.

The National Party strongly supports lowering the age of criminal prosecution from the current age of 14

National will provide the youth justice system with “a modern set of tools for getting young people out of the crime cycle, according to party policy. We will extend the jurisdiction of the Youth Court so it has the power to deal with 12- and 13-year-olds accused of serious offences.”

The National Party strongly supports private sector management of prisons

Simon Power has said a National government would again allow tendering for management of prisons by non-government providers, and party has confirmed this policy.