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International evidence suggests that informal processing of young offenders can reduce reoffending in some cases. Informal processing includes approaches such as issuing warnings, Alternative Action or Family Group Conferences. New Zealand makes extensive use of informal processing for young offenders.
Offenders face a number of challenges when being released from prison, making it difficult for them to successfully reintegrate into society. There is very promising New Zealand evidence that reintegration services reduce reoffending. There is robust local evidence that the reintegration services ‘Out of Gate’ and ‘Release and Work’ provided by the Department of Corrections can reduce crime. The effect of other reintegration services is yet to be evaluated in New Zealand. International evidence ...
There is conflicting evidence on whether out-of-school care and recreation can reduce crime. International research shows very mixed results and no consistency in positive results.
There is some international research which shows that supervision for offenders released from prison reduces reoffending, however, New Zealand evidence is limited. Supervision is most effective when it follows discretionary release, and it is conducted by well-trained probation officers.
Outdoor programmes, such as Outward Bound, produce short-term reductions in criminal behaviour for adolescent offenders. The New Zealand evidence for reduced reoffending is mixed.
Correctional education and vocational training reduce reoffending and increases the likelihood of obtaining employment upon release. International evidence suggests that the more effective the educational training programmes are at obtaining and maintaining employment post-release, the greater the reduction in reoffending. International evidence also suggests that adult offenders, 26 years and older tend to benefit more from education and employment programmes and increase their chances of maint...
Measures to prevent repeat burglary are effective at reducing crime when targeted at the households at the greatest risk of revictimisation. NZ Police provide a range of measures to prevent repeat burglary as nearly one-quarter of households burgled in New Zealand are burgled more than once. There is robust international evidence that risk of repeat burglaries can be reduced with preventative measures put in place such as improving locks on doors and windows, installing security lighting, and re...
Behavioural interventions in schools can reduce offending and victimisation with affected children. There are two types of behaviour management that have clear evidence of being effective: (1) having clearly stated, fair and consistently enforced rules, (2) teaching social, cognitive and emotional skills to manage behaviour and improve self-control.
Scared Straight or ‘Juvenile Awareness’ programmes involve taking at-risk youth on tours of adult prisons to be warned off a life of crime. There is clear international evidence that Scared Straight programmes make offending more likely. This is consistent with broader evidence showing that minimising contact with the formal justice system reduces reoffending for young offenders.
Sex offender treatment for adults results in lower rates of recorded sexual reoffending. There is robust international evidence that sex offender treatment for adults can reduce sexual reoffending against children and adults. New Zealand studies have found that child sex offender treatment is effective for reducing crime.
Restorative Justice is a process where offenders and victims meet to discuss the impact of the offence on the victim and how to right the wrong. While preventing reoffending is not the primary aim of Restorative Justice, research shows that it reduces reoffending.
Mentoring is one of the most commonly used interventions to help youth engaged in, or thought to be at risk for, delinquent behaviour and other negative outcomes. There is consistent international evidence that youth mentoring reduces crime particularly when professionally delivered.
‘Therapeutic interventions’ are therapies (e.g. counselling, psychotherapy, cognitive-behavioural programmes) designed to help IPV victims to manage its psychological effects (e.g. posttraumatic stress, depression, low self-esteem) and help reduce their vulnerability. International research shows that therapeutic interventions such as counselling can reduce victims’ vulnerability to Intimate Partner Violence revictimisation, but more controlled studies are needed. These interventions have not be...
Supervision is a community-based sentence that targets adult offenders convicted of less serious offences who have relatively straight-forward rehabilitation needs and a lower risk of reoffending. Offenders can be sentenced to supervision for 6 months to 1 year. There is conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of supervision sentences. They are most effective when the intensity of supervision is matched to the offender, treatment is mandatory, and administered by trained probation officers.
Situational Crime Prevention discourages crime by doing things that make committing a crime more difficult, risky, or less rewarding or excusable. There is robust international evidence that several types of Situational Crime Prevention reduce crime, particularly property crime and public order offences. Evidence suggests that situational crime prevention is most likely to be effective if tailored to the particular context rather than through generic application such as widespread CCTV.
Enforcement of speed limit for traffic, such as patrolling and speed cameras, reduces speed levels, road crashes and injuries. There is robust international and local evidence that speed limit enforcement reduces driving speeds, road crashes, number of fatalities and severity of injuries. There is some international evidence that the effects of speed enforcement are greater when a new form of speed enforcement is introduced and for more serious crashes. There is some international evidence that ...
International and NZ evidence shows that treatment for adolescents with harmful sexual behaviour reduces their offending in the future. The most promising kind of treatment is targeted at the specific needs of the adolescent, their family, and their social environment.
Correctional alcohol and drug treatment is effective at reducing offending and also has positive broader social outcomes. The treatment is most effective when targeted at people at high risk of reoffending, and tends to be less effective for reducing offending among adolescents, but still useful reducing substance use. Demand is now largely being met limiting the need to further investment.
Compulsory Breath Testing is effective at reducing traffic crashes. It is also effective for uncovering offences such as disqualified driving and drug offending, and can deter repeat drink driving. International evidence suggests it could be cost effective to increase enforcement.Compulsory breath testing at checkpoints reduced traffic crashes causing injury by 19% and fatal crashes by 15%. There is unmet demand in rural areas.
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy reduces reoffending among many groups of offenders. There is great potential in extending this treatment to more young offenders.
High coverage CCTV is effective at reducing crime in car parks when used with other interventions such as improved light, notices about CCTV, painting, fencing, payment schemes and security. The international evidence suggests that CCTV when used in combination with other interventions can reduce crime in car parks by up to 54% when there is high coverage. There is conflicting evidence that CCTV alone as a general widespread crime prevent measure can reduce crime.
International evidence of the effectiveness Family Violence Perpetrator Treatment is mixed, but the Department of Corrections has been successful with its programmes for these offenders.
Most international research suggests that family-based interventions are effective at reducing offending among teenagers. This is very important as a small group of youth offenders are likely to continue offending in adulthood.Family based interventions are: (a) programmes that attempt to strengthen parents’ parenting skills and (b) approaches that aim to improve functioning in multiple domains of a teenager’s life (family, peer group, school and / or community).
Early intervention for children under 13 can reduce teenage and adult offending. It can also improve children’s intellectual development, academic achievement and health.
There is conflicting evidence about whether faith-based interventions can reduce crime. There is some evidence that faith-based interventions can improve the behaviour of prisoners. Faith-based interventions are voluntary and therefore creates a significant selection bias. The largest faith-based intervention in New Zealand operated in Rimutaka Prison from 2003 – 2011 but closed after an evaluation reported it had no impact upon reoffending.