ACT's Crime & Justice Policy
ACT supports three strikes sentencing, keeping serious criminals in prison longer, opposing early parole, enforcing gang patch bans, increasing the number of police, and focusing criminal justice on punishment and victim rights rather than offender rehabilitation.
In simple terms
Keep serious criminals in jail longer, ban gang patches, hire more police, and prioritise victims' rights over offender rehabilitation.
Green Party's Crime & Justice Policy
The Green Party supports a restorative justice model, reducing the prison population, ending the remand prison crisis, drug law reform including cannabis decriminalisation, addressing systemic racism in the justice system, and reinvesting in community-based alternatives.
In simple terms
Reduce prison numbers, fix the remand system, decriminalise cannabis, address racial bias in justice, and fund community alternatives to imprisonment.
Labour's Crime & Justice Policy
Labour focused on rehabilitation through the Hāpai te Hauora health-based approach, reducing Māori over-representation in prisons, alternatives to imprisonment for non-violent offending, mental health courts, and addressing the root causes of crime through social investment.
In simple terms
Address the causes of crime through health and social support, reduce the number of Māori in prison, and use alternatives to jail for non-violent offenders.
National's Crime & Justice Policy
National has introduced tougher sentencing, reinstating the three strikes law, boot camps for young offenders, more police officers, and gang suppression legislation. They focus on consequences for crime and supporting victims.
In simple terms
Bring back three strikes sentencing, create boot camps for young offenders, hire more police, and crack down on gangs.
NZ First's Crime & Justice Policy
NZ First supports tougher sentences for violent offenders, gang suppression, more police in rural areas, prioritising New Zealand citizens for corrections staff, and opposing early parole. They have historically supported three strikes and opposing name suppression for serious offenders.
In simple terms
Tougher sentences for violent criminals, crack down on gangs, put more police in rural areas, and keep serious offenders in prison.
Te Pāti Māori's Crime & Justice Policy
Te Pāti Māori advocates for addressing Māori over-imprisonment as a Treaty obligation, kaupapa Māori justice models, Rangatahi Courts, repealing three strikes legislation, addressing systemic racism, and investing in communities to prevent crime rather than increasing incarceration.
In simple terms
Fix the fact that Māori make up over 50% of prisoners, use Māori justice practices, repeal three strikes laws, and invest in communities to prevent crime.