treatment, not imprisonment

01 Oct, 2026

Radio NZ has a short article today on drug courts. Short as it may be, it makes a couple of very good points.

Let's start with a quote from an addict-turned-case-manager:

"We're very lucky and blessed to have a system that can offer something else, that isn't just this cycle of offending, jail sentence, getting no tools, getting out back into the community, relapsing, offending, jail sentence," Hill said.

Yep. Jailing is failing because all it is is locking people up for a set period of time. If you don't do anything about the root causes of their offending, then they're just going to go straight back to it when they get it. And so the door revolves.

On the other hand, if you put the time, effort, and resources into finding out what's causing them to offend and then helping them deal with that, then you have a chance to break the cycle. The revolving door stops and people move on to healthy, constructive lives in which the contribute to the community.

Next up, Judge Lisa Tremewan¹:

She said research showed the court saved money while delivering better outcomes.

"Not only do we get a reduction in re-offending, but we also get better health outcomes, we get, for example, kids having parents who are in recovery, making better choices, being responsible as parents, getting the kids to school, all those basic things that we know can make a difference."

Yes. Crime does not happen in a vacuum, and when offenders are jailed families also suffer. So treating the causes of offending has multiple layers of good effects.

1. The government saves money because less re-offending means fewer people on trial and in prison. It also means fewer victims of crime and less pressure on the Police.

2. The offender enjoys better mental and physical health, greater self-esteem, a more stable life, and so on.

3. The offender's family gets to keep their spouse/parent/sibling/child out in the community with them. This is particularly important for children: Happy, healthy, responsible parents play an active role in their children's lives, which leads to fewer Adverse Childhood Events, less trauma, and fewer children graduating into a life of poor mental health, addiction, and crime. Or, to put it in a positive sense: More children going on to live happy, healthy, productive lives in which they make valued, positive contributions to the communities they live in.

4. Society benefits because their is less crime, less addiction, and a generally happier, healthier community.

Why so many of our political leaders fail so badly to understand this boggles the mind.