The 30 per cent increase in the prison muster over the past seven years is almost entirely made up of gang members, economist Jim Rose argues. (File photo)

OPINION: The new Government is deeply troubled by the 30 per cent increase in the prison muster since 2011. But nearly all those additional prisoners are gang members, who are now where they belong.

The number of gang members in prison has increased by 350 per cent since 2011; from 1051 in April 2011 to 3711 in April 2017 (see graphic). These are violent career criminals getting what they deserve.

What is important to note is that the number of prisoners without any gang affiliations has barely increased at all since 2011 – by 5 per cent, from 6020 to 6353. That is no crisis.

The courts and prisons and the greatly criticised tougher bail law amendments of a few years ago seem to be working as we would expect them to work: locking up as many hardened criminals as they can find and duly convict.

READ MORE:

* The problem with our prisons

* Prison muster growing at rapid rate

* Huge rise in female prison population 'a problem'

* Prisons under 'immense pressure'

It would only be expected that tougher bail laws would see many more gang members refused bail and put on remand. Gang membership means a support network to help you skip bail. Those same gang affiliations mean they are career criminals, likely to reoffend, not first-time offenders.

Tougher bail laws do not increase the prison population, because remand only brings forward the sentence the accused would serve anyway, unless they are found not guilty at trial. Time on remand counts towards the final sentence.

Only 20 per cent of remanded prisoners are found not guilty. Obviously, that is an error in the system, but no system of criminal justice is ever perfect. But we can take comfort in the knowledge that many of those remanded but later found not guilty were gang members, not innocent people caught up in a miscarriage of justice.

It takes something of a life of crime before anyone is sentenced to prison in New Zealand. On average, people must have committed 11 offences before spending their first spell behind bars.

About 70 per cent of prisoners are in for violent or sexual offending, or for drug trafficking. About 20 per cent are inside for burglary, theft, or fraud. No-one goes to prison in New Zealand for drug use. We are not like the United States, where harmless old hippies get thrown in prison for outrageous lengths of time.

Half the prison population is Māori, but half the Māori prison population are gang members. Striving to reduce the number of Māori in prison is a lot more complicated when you consider half of those prisoners are gang members whom no-one wants to see given a break.

Gang members are not Māori single mums struggling to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table who were driven to a bit of shoplifting by the legacy of 175 years of colonisation. They are hardened criminals pursuing a life of crime outside and inside prison. They have no excuses.

If the new Government played a straight bat, its prison muster battle cry would be "Too many gang members are in prison". That is a sure recipe for a one-term government.

* Jim Rose is an economic consultant. He blogs at Utopiayouarestandinginit.com