Nicho Waipuka exemplifies all that is wrong with our prison system

Killer of RNZ journalist released, despite still being high risk

The man jailed for almost 13 years for killing RNZ journalist Phillip Cottrell has been released, despite still being high risk and disengaging with rehabilitation.

The senseless and pointless killing of RNZ Journalist Phillip Cottrell was made worse by the gormless swagger and bravado of the immature man child Nicho Waipuka during the trial and afterwards.

Nicho was sentenced to 12 years and 10 months and because of a quirk of National Party vengeance, he manages to exemplify all that is wrong with our prison system.

What makes Nicho so terrifying is that in all the years inside prison, he has not done one day of rehabilitation.

How is that possible you ask?

Thanks to the National Party, they made access to rehabilitation dependent on the Prisoner admitting guilt.

Many of the broken damaged men who end up in prison have only this self mutilation of resistance left in their emotional tool box, so they dig their heels in and NEVER admit to the crime they committed, this means they are not eligible for rehabilitation and so these prisoners end up serving their whole lag with no rehab whatsoever.

He has been caged like an animal for over a decade, the inevitability of his explosion once released should surprise no one.

We love to make prisoners suffer, their loss of liberty is not enough to sate our thirst for revenge, and by adding the admission of guilt before rehab, National want to add one more humiliation to the prisoner experience, unfortunately this has generated the counter productive result of damaged men serving whole lags with zero rehabilitation being released more damaged than when they went intro prison.

An endless loop of hate, revenge and suffering and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering, and more hate, revenge and suffering on and on and on it goes.

This is who we have always been.

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