A very interesting article in today’s New Zealand Herald from Judge David Carruthers on the Canadian programme of having those who are released from prison go into halfway houses with 24 hour live-in supervision. According to Carruthers this means Canada is five or six times more successful at reducing re-offending.  Personally I think this is well worth looking at.  We have some limited examples of these sorts of programmes in New Zealand, but not on an across the board level. Earlier in the year I discussed with Stephanie McIntyre from Downtown Community Ministry in Wellington how we could break the cycle for some of those who were in and out of prison, and bedevilled with drug and alcohol problems.  Her answer was  similar to this idea- intensive one on one interventions, including people living in.  While this kind of intensive supervision might be expensive it recognises that we need to support re-integration in a meaningful way if we want to reduce re-offending and all the social and economic costs that go with it.   I hope the Corrections Department takes on board Judge Carruthers report from this recent visit to Canada.