Mr Little, who is already developing into one of the Government’s most considered ministers, is proposing reform to the country’s criminal justice system and a rejection of "getting tough on crime", a view long-held by many politicians and voters. Mr Little sees things differently and his vision has been called the boldest political move in criminal justice since former justice minister Ralph Hannan convinced his National Party colleagues to abolish the death penalty in 1961. A Brennan Centre for Justice study in 2016 found approximately 39% of the United States nationwide prison population (576,000 people) is behind bars with little public safety rationale. The major challenge is convincing the public what has been done for 30 years in criminal justice reform is not working. Mr Little has taken on an admirable challenge by providing his vision for the justice system.

Source: Otago Daily Times March 02, 2018 16:41 UTC