Justice Minister Judith Collins has confirmed the Government is considering setting up a register of serious offenders so the public knows about their past offending when they are released from jail.
Ms Collins says if adopted, the register would apply to all serious offenders, not just those deported from Australia at the end of their jail sentence.
Ms Collins says it is just one of a number of options being considered.
She says she can't understand how someone's offending is public when sentenced but then deemed private just a week later.
Ms Collins says the information should be public when offenders are released.