Prison's not the answer for most crime - group

First, there was the Sensible Sentencing Trust. Now, there's the Really Sensible Sentencing Trust.

A group of Napier residents have formed The Really Sensible Sentencing Trust to oppose the tough law and order policies of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, also based in Napier.

Labour list MP Russell Fairbrother announced the formation of the group, but would not reveal who was involved.

"I'm not authorised to give names."

The group consisted of people who believed that only the worst of the worst criminals should be sent to jail.

The rest were victims of a competitive society focused on private gain at the expense of public good, and they should be supported in the community with taxpayer funds that would otherwise go into keeping them locked up.

"I think they mean common thieves, taggers and disqualified drivers," Mr Fairbrother said.

Such people did not deserve jail, and punishment was not going to change them.

They were people living hard, disorganised lives in a competitive society.

"Inherent in competition are a small number of winners and a larger number of losers. All the evidence tells us it's from the losers in this competitive model that we fill our prisons," Mr Fairbrother said.

"We've seen the income gap increase as the market economy takes hold, and, with the increase of disadvantage, the prison population grows."

The head of the Sensible Sentencing Trust, Garth McVicar, said he had no objection to the name the new group had chosen, or its goals.

"It's an indication of their frustration with the traction the Sensible Sentencing Trust is getting.

"The fact we give victims a voice seems to frustrate the whole anti-prison drive.

"They are of a minority now. At the start they called us names and ridiculed us. This is just another track they're going to take.

"It's quite amusing, and hopefully, it will get the whole debate going. All luck to them."