“The impending release of convicted murder accessory Nichole Field shows how far the public has been duped into a false sense of security with the New Zealand justice system, a leading campaigner for change claims.”
SO how does he explain a record prison muster (more baddies being caught) and record prison sentences being given out, we are now up there with some of the most punitive western nations, yet this git is never happy.
This guy adds even less to the national debate about the justice system than I do, yet he’s apparently a national campaigner.
He’s not he’s a media hungry git who hates people. I’ve never heard one so called sensible suggestion from this guy, just ‘all baddies are evil’, ‘the judges are soft’, ‘criminals get away with everything’, blah blah blah.
12 Comments
January 13, 2009 at 11:07 pm
I am hoping that 2009 will be the year of jeering at Garth McVicar. Thank you for making a start to this worthy endeavour.
January 14, 2009 at 4:14 am
If you ever have the misfortune to loose a loved one at the hands of a killer, as I have and have been forced to enter the reality of life as a victim in NZ, maybe your opinion may change.
I used to think that we had an OK justice system but my belief has been shattered. The person who killed my daughter should never have been out of prison on parole and for that reason I support Garth Mc Vicar and his campaign to get tougher on the criminals in NZ. Enough is enough it is time to get tough.
January 14, 2009 at 8:00 pm
Hi Judy,
I am very sorry for your loss, I haven’t had immediate family loss, plus I have been very close to a rape case involving someone out on bail for just that offence.
However I do not think that the style of justice which Mr McVicar adheres to adds nothing to the wider debate about crime in this country. He comes across more interested in retribution and is too vengeful for my liking. I haven’t heard one single word of moderation from the man, and if you listen to this guy then you’d truly believe that we live in one lawless state, where the judges are weak and no one goes to jail, or if they do, they are out before you know it. When in actual fact the facts and figures tell a very different story.
We are actually tough on our criminals, the prison muster (don’t you just love that term, muster) is greater than it’s ever been, sentences are longer and despite individual cases Parole is harder to get. And if National or ACT get their way we’ll be building even more prisons (which they were very critical of Labour of doing).
But his assertions that our justice system is a “big con” is meaningless, adds nothing to the debate and just makes people more bitter and twisted (either against him, or against society).
September 17, 2009 at 5:20 am
Hi Paul
I am a producer from TVNZ and would like to talk to you further about Garth McVicar. Can you e-mail me and I will call you on the best contact number.
Thank you
Julia sartorio
January 15, 2009 at 7:29 pm
Paul, Thank you for your reply
Having met and spent considerable time with Garth he is certainly not vengeful. He is trying to put a stop to the increasing crime in NZ and if that means getting harder on criminals I am all for it. I would suggest you visit the SST website and read the stories of victims, see how an increasing number of violent offenders have ruined the lives of innocent NZ families. Garth is not alone in his fight for tougher penalties on crime as a deterrent to prevent reoffending, but because he is speaking out that upsets some and so they try to make him out to be the bad guy. A growing number of victims are now standing up and adding their voice in support for him and the trust because we have had a first hand experience with our so called justice system. My daughter was 20, Her killer was given name suppression and it was only after sentencing and the lifting of the suppression order that I was able to seek the truth about her death. If you have the time I would suggest you read the 80 page report commissioned by the State Services Commission on the “Ministerial Inquiry into matters relating to the death of Debbie Ashton”. Until Debbie was killed I never had any reason to question my believe in the justice system including the law, but the failings within police and corrections have changed that, and I intend to do all that I can to make a difference so that another life is not taken and many others destroyed because of it. Statistics can be very misleading. to me they are not broken down enough e.g. minor and serious crimes etc. Muster is an appropriate word not all prisoners are animals but many of the serious offenders are. Parole what a joke. Debz killer was given 5 1/2 years, in November 2 weeks before the 2nd year of her killing we get a letter giving us four months notice that he is eligible for parole. That was a huge “kick in the guts” when I was already down due to agony of relieving the lead up to that fateful night.
If victims were given more of a chance to speak about the real justice/injustice that we have experienced and people are prepared to listen to us together with the statistics that are thrown at us then I believe people would be far better informed to make comments. Statistics can be manipulated, the injustice that not only I but other victims have had to face and live with can not be. I look forward to further comment once you have read the ministerial report and viewed the SST website, in particular the recent DVD “New Zealand – A land fit for Criminals – why?”
Maybe they will challenge you to rethink your views on Garth.
Judy
January 15, 2009 at 8:16 pm
Hi Judy,
Again, I am sorry for your loss. The problem that I believe Paul is trying to get at, and many others who look at the topic in detail is that Garth McViccar is simply wrong. No research backs up his claims, on the contrary, it shows that his style of justice increases crime rates.
As I’m sure you wouldn’t wish what your family has been through on any one, I would kindly ask you to reconsider your position in support of Mr McViccar. The simple fact of the matter is that his policies increase the crime rate and make New Zealand a dangerous place.
Mr McViccar himself is either vengeful or misguided. Personally I think hes a simple man with not very much idea what hes on about, being strung along by a whole lot of much smarter people who should know better. But thats my opinion.
Again, I am truely sorry for your loss.
Michael.
September 10, 2009 at 3:49 am
Maybe you need to look at some of the facts from other countries before you say he is wrong. New York has changed from being one of the worst cities for crime to one of the safest by having a zero tolerance to crime policy. If thats not tough what is? Its about time we stopped having a go at people who are trying to help victims. You say his policies increase the crime rate. Where do you get your facts from! Garth is not the one out their causing this crime the offender is. Maybe you should come and sit in a room for one hour with people who are members of SST and hear the stories before you make a judgement. We are not vengeful we just want to protect others and stop them from becoming victims.
October 15, 2009 at 12:08 am
Can you please provide a source of these facts about the effectiveness of zero tolerance in NY?
Is there anywhere that states that zero tolerance was and is the main reason for the change in crime rates?
Are you sure there are absolutely no other social factors that may also have contributed to reduced crime, such as (from the top of my head): poverty reduction, community projects, decline in drug use and/or better drug education, early and improved intervention in problem communities and problem families, etc?
One example: http://bjc.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/abstract/39/4/531
Which do you think is a better aim – more punishment to be applied after a crime is committed, or more intervention at some level – family, community, other – before the crime? The former is easier to sell, seems immediate and sadly to many is more satisfying while the latter is not so visible nor immediate but may prevent a jail sentence and *also* prevent creating a victim of a crime.
Crime will always happen no matter the punishment. I’d rather have less prisons *and* less victims rather than just “more prisons” . How does zero tolerance achieve that?
December 8, 2009 at 10:44 am
Actually the massive reduction in crime that New York (and many other cities in the USA) can wholly be attributed to the earlier legalization of abortion, you can read about that here: http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=174508
Most of the policies he promotes do not do anything to reduce crime, others (like the 3 strikes rule for example) are proven to increase the incidence of crime.
Two things I am finding increasingly distasteful is 1, the growing personality cult around “Garth”, and 2, the manner in which he exploits peoples grief. Also note below where a poster is complaining about “the left”, Garth McVictim and the Sensible Sentencing Trust is far more a right wing extremist political lobby group than something that exists for the benefit of society.
October 18, 2009 at 10:26 pm
Longer sentences do work for a simple reason, if a violent criminal/rapist/murderer is in jail, he is not out attacking other people.
Repeat violent criminals should be out of the way, so that they do not get the chance to do it again, for the rest of their lives, if necessary.
Of course the causes of some crime are complex and may involve bad parenting, abuse or poverty and those things need addressing. The SST wholeheartedly agree and I don’t know why there is a misconception that they do not.
If a minor offender can be turned round by mentoring, education, restorative justice and the like, the SST are behind that too.
And finally NZ is NOT tough on criminals. We are soft. We have a low rate of imprisonment PER CRIME, because we have a high crime rate.
November 12, 2009 at 9:21 pm
Its always interesting that the McVicar tribe come to his defense without any evidence or valid academic research. The defense is always based on emotion, which is why victims should have little to no say in criminal justice policy.
November 27, 2009 at 2:05 am
I would not describe Garth as vengeful at all . The heading of this thread is vengeful “Garth McVicker fuck off ” . Is their any need for that ? Talk about violence you have some anger management issues yourself that you need to take care of. Garth is simply trying to prevent further carnage from a failed parole system & light sentences which have been perpetrated on us by the softly softly approach of a left wing justice system.By condemning Garth all you are doing is helping to sustain a corrupt system.
Interesting how Garth is frequently attacked by left wing media yet no one offers any realistic logical viable alternative.Left wingers are currently happy to release dangerous crims into the community so they can go & create more havoc. As long as one doesn’t come into their own backyard .