New Zealand Ends Prisoner Reduction Targets, Cultural Reports Prior to Sentencing

The New Zealand government has confirmed it is ending what Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith called a “cottage industry costing taxpayers millions and doing nothing for the victims of crime”—cultural reports handed to courts to consider when sentencing an accused person. Mr. Goldsmith said these had cost taxpayers more than $7 million in the last financial year—up from $40,000 in 2017—and had led to shorter sentences. The government will introduce a bill in the next session of Parliament, which starts next week, making the reports ineligible for legal aid. Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, speaking at a post-Cabinet press conference, said anyone facing sentencing was still able to bring into court someone who could speak about their past, but there would not be funding for written reports....