The “Rethinking Crime and Punishment” project and this website were launched on 26 October 2006. 

“Rethinking Crime and Punishment” is a strategic initiative to raise the level of public debate about the use of prison and alternative forms of punishment in New Zealand.  The Salvation Army and Prison Fellowship New Zealand have joined to lead this project, with support from a wide group of significant stakeholders.

In the western world, New Zealand is second only to the United States in the rate at which it locks people up.  Whatever your view of prison, we think there is a need for fresh thinking, new ideas and a much wider public debate.  This project aims to facilitate this debate to raise the level of discussion about prison and its alternatives.  It will aim to increase public understanding of and involvement in the criminal justice system and inject fresh thinking into the public debate by

This project will propose new, imaginative and creative ways to address a serious ongoing social issue.

The boundaries of this programme have been deliberately left fairly open.  It has national significance, and is intended to create alternatives to prison, and community based responses to crime and punishment.  

This project will support approaches which actively involve members of the public in the criminal justice and penal system.  We propose to engage such groups as business leaders, the judiciary, the families of offenders, churches and community groups in dialogue and debate.  We will also publicise the ways in which volunteers can get involved in the criminal justice system.

Salvation Army	Prison Fellowship of New Zealand

Read more on “Our Purpose”