The Government's three strikes sentencing policy has come under further criticism, this time from a former principal judge of the Youth Court.
The legislation would force anyone who commits a third violent offence to serve the maximum possible sentence with no parole.
The Youth Court's former principal judge, Mick Brown, told Summer Report offenders won't necessarily be deterred by the proposed sentencing regime.
He said many of the offenders he dealt with didn't appear to have thought about the potential disadvantages of being caught.
The policy has been criticised by the Maori Party and justice reform advocates, who say it fails to address the underlying causes of crime.