This would be a good research project

The Herald reports:

There is no evidence cultural reports reduce reoffending and cutting funding for them will save money, the Justice Minister says.

The Government confirmed Wednesday that it was scrapping the target to reduce prison populations and would no longer fund the cultural reports used in sentencing.

Asked whether the reports might actually save money by avoiding prison sentences and stopping people from committing further crimes, Paul Goldsmith said there was no evidence of that.

This would be an interesting research project. What is the average reoffending rate (and time until reoffending) for those who got a reduced sentence due to a cultural report, compared to those who did not?

Wouldn’t it be fascinating if in fact the offenders reoffended more quickly, when they get a reduced sentence?

“We don’t think spending $7.5m producing reports like this is a good use of the money,” Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith said.

Goldsmith said people could still give a cultural report orally in court, or in writing, but it would no longer be funded through the legal aid system.

The cost of these reports has increased over 15000% since 2017. It has become an industry of its own.