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Crime & Justice · Party position

Green on Crime & Justice

Safer communities through prevention, rehabilitation, and addressing root causes

The Green Party wants to change how New Zealand deals with crime. Instead of focusing on putting people in prison, they want to fix the reasons people offend in the first place, like poverty, poor mental health, and lack of housing. They want more options for non-prison sentences, better support for people leaving prison, and a stronger focus on healing for victims. They also want to expand specialist youth courts and make sure police use less force.

What they say they'll do

  • Expand specialist youth courts like Rangatahi and Pasifika Courts across New Zealand
  • Reform bail and sentencing laws to allow more non-prison, community-based outcomes
  • Require regular police de-escalation training and oppose further arming of police
  • Resource evidence-based rehabilitation and tikanga-based restorative justice for all who want it
  • Improve housing and reintegration support for people leaving prison
  • Ban detention of young people with adults and minimise youth remand in detention

Who this affects

Young people in the justice system
Specialist youth courts would be expanded and young offenders would receive mental health, trauma, and drug and alcohol support, with a ban on detaining young people alongside adults.
People in or leaving prison
People in prison would have access to rehabilitation programmes and restorative justice options, and those leaving would receive more support with housing and community reintegration.
Victims of crime and family violence
The justice system would be reformed so that legal proceedings do not retraumatise victims and survivors, including through changes to the Family Court process.
Māori and Pasifika communities
More resourcing would go to Māori and Pasifika wardens, and tikanga-based and restorative justice options like Te Pae Oranga would be made available to everyone who wants them.

In their own words

“Resource evidence-based rehabilitation for anyone convicted of an offence, and ensure tikanga-based and restorative justice solutions (such as Te Pae Oranga) are available to everyone who wishes to access these.”
“Reform bail and sentencing laws to allow for more non-custodial, community outcomes.”
“Require regular de-escalation training for police, oppose further arming of police and the use of tactics that increase the risk of harm, and increase resourcing for Māori and Pasifika wardens.”
Verify at Green — 2023 manifesto

Summarised neutrally from Green’s own official policy (as at 2026-06-23) and checked by an editor — never paraphrased without the source linked, and never an endorsement. Read the original ↗ Arapono is non-partisan. Compare all parties on Crime & Justice →

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