Collins puts liberal panty-waists on notice

Judith Collins has an opinion piece in the NZ Herald and in her indomitable way puts liberal panty-waists like “FIGJAM” Power on notice that at least one of our politicians is staying in touch with the people in the street.

Time and again, victims of crime have told me they feel let down by a system that seems to put greater emphasis on the rights of offenders than victims.

People expect safe communities, where they can walk the streets without the threat of violence or intimidation, where they can sleep at night knowing their families are safe in their homes, where there is respect for property, people and the law.

These things are among the most fundamental obligations of any government. I believe we need to revisit the basic principles of punishment and reform.

As far as I am concerned, Offenders have no rights except the right to be housed and fed. We seriously do need to look at our Justice system.

In this country we have many people who have made a thriving industry out of making excuses for criminals.

In the past decade these people have overwhelmed the debate on law and order with their views on the rights of offenders.

By making excuses for criminals, these people send a very strong signal that crime is acceptable in our communities, that it is an accepted fact of life.

One thing I do not understand is how you can tell someone whose life has been torn apart by crime that it is acceptable.

Recently, a senior judge told me that he believed there was “far too much emphasis on victims in our courts at the moment”.

That Judge should be sacked. it is their job to protect society by putting crims away, not dishing out big hugs and cuddles. Collins is right, making excuses for criminals victimises the victim al over again. This is one of the reasons I set up SHAME. To stop people making excuses and hiding from the awful crimes that they committ.

For every crime there are victims like Leigh and her family, and for justice to be truly done it must strive to bring peace and closure to those victims. I believe it is time to reclaim a few basic ideas of what justice is and what it is supposed to do.

The public expects the system – first and foremost – to punish those who have broken the law. Punishment for serious crime in the majority of cases should be harsh, because anything less fails to acknowledge that victims of crime are never truly released from their sentences.

I don’t believe prison should be enjoyable. Prison should be an unpleasant experience so offenders do not want to return.

The justice system’s sole focus should not be on punishment. It is very important to give people the opportunity to turn their lives around.

Precisely. Judith Collins is right in touch with the feel on the streets, she clearly doesn’t ensconce herself in the rarefied atmosphere of the beltway. Serious Offenders need serious punishment, not PLasma screens and heated floors and cuddle toys and warm blankets. They need hard punishment and then when they get that message we can start looking at rehabilitation.

But pressure from those who advocate for the rights of criminals has resulted in too much focus on rehabilitating the prisoners who are least likely to be rehabilitated.

We should accept that some offenders will never be rehabilitated, and divert resources to those who could benefit from it.

The Government has announced a three-strikes policy that will escalate the severity of sentences.

Hoorah! The days of the panty-waist liberals running our prison is over. In the Police and Corrections Minister we have a minister who knows and understands about the victims of crime and what we need to do about. Som eoffenders are beyond redemption and the faster they are worked to an early grave the better. Perhaps under our free trade detail with China we could outsource the detention of lifers to China. They at least know how to make their sorry lives useful, often by using them as organ donors. The Chinese are very efficient when it come to making the useless useful.