Constable Costa plays hard cop

February 20, 2002
Issue 

BY ZANNY BEGG

SYDNEY — Since his meteoric rise to cabinet five months ago, the NSW Labor government's minister for police Michael Costa has implemented a series of initiatives that will send more people to jail.

One of his more subtle changes has been to replace "Police Service" with "Police Force" as the cops' official title. Costa described this change "symbolic" of the shift away from the idea that police should be "social workers". "I take a more traditional view that the community expects police to catch crooks, lock them up and have them prosecuted", Costa explained.

This "traditional view" has serious implications. The "Increase in Prison Population" report, tabled in NSW parliament in November, found there had been a 20.9% increase in the number of prisoners in NSW between 1995 and 2001. This increase has been particularly steep for women, with the numbers of female inmates increasing by 67.6%.

Over a similar period, the Victorian government has maintained an imprisonment rate almost half that of NSW. This discrepancy casts doubt on the necessity of harsh sentencing policies being pursued in NSW.

In late January, Costa announced amendments to the bail act which would deny bail to repeat offenders. This move is set to increase the NSW prison population by a further 500 people. Costa's main justification for this measure was that it would "deter" crimes by repeat offenders, who he claims are responsible for 80% of crime in NSW.

However, the"Increase in Prison Population" report pointed out that the primary cause of the rising numbers of people in jail is an increase in police activity.

The report makes recommendations would help reduce or reverse the rise in prison numbers, including pursuing alternative sentencing options and abolishing jail for sentences under six months. It points out that those in prison in NSW represent the most marginal, disadvantaged and poor members of the community: 60% of inmates are not functionally literate; 64% have no stable family; and 60% did not complete year 10. Addressing these factors would do more to reduce crime then throwing more people behind bars.

From Green Left Weekly, February 20, 2002.
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