It was a salutary experience for many who attended the event. This was not merely because of the nature and scale of the challenges we confront, but also because the disjunction between the empirical evidence (i.e. concerning what actually works to reduce offending) and the policy prescriptions often favoured by governments. Too often, it seems, governments are inclined to adopt policies which simply do not work, or at least do little to improve overall social outcomes. The National-led government’s proposal to introduce ‘boot camps’ provides a classic example: politically attractive but empirically flawed.

An immediate output of the symposium was the publication of a book edited by Dr Maxwell – Addressing the Causes of Offending: What is the Evidence? Four of the substantive chapters contained in this volume are included, albeit with some additions and deletions, in this issue of Policy Quarterly. First, Professor Tony Ward discusses the various philosophical justifications for state-inflicted punishment, and the ethical challenges that some of these justifications create for clinicians and others working in the criminal justice system. Next, Judge Andrew Becroft (the Principal Youth Court Judge) explores the nature of the youth justice system in New Zealand and outlines some of the options for improving this system and thus reducing the likelihood of re-offending. Following this, Dr Cindy Kiro (the Children’s Commissioner, 2003-09) reflects on the causes of offending and, on the basis of the available evidence, argues that the most cost-effective approaches involve early intervention, so that children have the best possible start in life. Finally, Kim Workman (a former head of the prison service in New Zealand) makes a strong plea for policy makers to give greater attention to the crucial issue of prisoner integration. In so doing, he highlights the ideas of Winston Churchill (when he was the Liberal Home Secretary in Britain in 1910) and the failure of governments, both here in New Zealand and elsewhere, to act on Churchill’s advice to put in place adequate community support for released prisoners.

The remaining articles in this issue of Policy Quarterly cover four very different policy matters. Len Cook and Robert Hughes explore the implications of the global financial crisis (and the resulting economic recession) for New Zealand’s public sector. Drawing on their extensive experience in public management and the lessons arising from previous economic downturns, they outline a strategic approach for achieving greater value for money, particularly in relation to the delivery of public services and the management of capital investments, including priority setting for new investments.