Author(s): Celia Lashlie

NZ Non Fiction

There is a blond, angelic-faced five-year-old sitting in a classroom in New Zealand and he is coming to prison. ..on his way, he will probably kill someone.'

With these words Cecilia Lashlie caused a media furore that propelled her into the headlines for weeks during 2001. Now she tells the story from her point of view, then goes on to look at the whole question of the origins of crime in New Zealand, the way we punish offenders, the effectiveness of prison (for both men and women), parental responsibility, the role of drugs, where education comes in and the role of state institutions. Underpinning her argument is the need for the community as a whole to take responsibility for the incidence of crime in our society. With her background as a prison officer in male prisons and manager of a female prison, Cecilia Lashlie is uniquely placed to offer insights and information that will inform the often unenlightened debate about crime and punishment in New Zealand.

Cecilia Lashlie was the first woman prison officer to work in a male prison. Later she conducted seminars with prison officers, aimed at challenging macho attitudes and behaviour. Perceptive and straight-talking, she was soon earmarked for higher office, and became manager of Christchurch Women's Prison in 1997, where she was highly effective in bridging the gap between prison and the community at large. She then worked with Special Education Services in Nelson, which occasioned the events of 2001.